Tuesday, July 27
We’re in wine country! California has been beautiful and sunny. This morning we slept in a little and went to the Jelly Belly Factory. David managed to score us some free water bottles and Sports Beans, which are electrolyte- and caffeine-filled jelly beans. We took a tour of the factory with Stephanie, our super enthusiastic guide, and got free samples. It was loads of sugary fun.
After we got back, we rode a whole 17 miles into Napa. My team, which consisted of Andrew, Amelia, Terence, and me, was the last to leave the church. The wind was pretty strong but not unbearable, and we were moving at a decent pace. After getting lost for a bit, we found ourselves at this awesomely busy intersection where a nice man let us in. We biked past picturesque hills and vineyards. For a while, there was a nice tailwind. As soon as we turned into the host’s driveway, we ran into Pooja and Sara, who were on their way to downtown Napa. We joined forces and made our way to the visitor’s center. We found bars and coffee shops, grabbed a quick snack, and perused some stores. Pooja introduced me to falafel, which tasted like fried hummus. We picked up a bottle of wine from a small wine shop and headed back to the church for dinner.
Later that evening, we made a run to the shopping center to pick up a few things. I had my first In-N-Out burger—a double-double, animal-style—which was a delicious experience. I later came to regret this meal when it sat, like a brick, in my stomach for the remainder of the night. We headed back to the church, had ourselves a little wine and cheese party and played some games. A locked gate thwarted our plans to go downtown, but we had fun nonetheless.
- Erica Lai
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 54: Fallon, NV to South Lake Tahoe, CA
Thursday, July 22
“We’ve been on the run, driving in the sun, looking out for #1, California here we come, right back where we started from”
The day into Tahoe was probably the most exciting days of the trip thus far. Not only were we biking out of the desert and into the beautiful green mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, but we were about to cross into the last state of our journey: CALIFORNIA! The morning wake up music consisted of “Californiacation” and “Dani California” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the opening song to the OC, “California Love” by Tupac and my personal favorite “Hotel California” by the Eagles.
It was a very hot morning but Pooja and Erica were awesome and managed to get us free Slurpies from 7-eleven at one of our water stops in Carson City. I was on team California that morning and we were determined to get our hands on a juicy In and Out burger so we decided to take a little detour from the 2nd water stop and went half a mile out of the way just to satisfy our craving. It was well worth it!!!! Dan, Charlie, Terence and I were very happy and immediately after our lunch started our first and only climb of the day. On the way up we spotted the first ever “Bear Crossing” sign of the day. That definitely made me pedal a little faster up that mountain!
The whole team waited at the top of Spooner Summit until everyone completed the climb because we all wanted to reach the California state sign at relatively the same time. The descent into Tahoe was absolutely breathtaking. Right as we turned the corner we saw nothing but blue and green. It was unbelievable. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful descents of the trip. Finally we reached the California-Nevada state line… I’m not going to lie, it was a bit anti-climactic… and small… but we were all filled with excitement either way. We took various team photos and hung out at a busy intersection for about half an hour.
That night and the next night we stayed at a lovely church across the street from restaurants and an art fair in the city of South Lake Tahoe. Everyone enjoyed their day off by going to the beach, shopping, watching movies and of course… eating!
-Adali Martinez
“We’ve been on the run, driving in the sun, looking out for #1, California here we come, right back where we started from”
The day into Tahoe was probably the most exciting days of the trip thus far. Not only were we biking out of the desert and into the beautiful green mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe, but we were about to cross into the last state of our journey: CALIFORNIA! The morning wake up music consisted of “Californiacation” and “Dani California” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the opening song to the OC, “California Love” by Tupac and my personal favorite “Hotel California” by the Eagles.
It was a very hot morning but Pooja and Erica were awesome and managed to get us free Slurpies from 7-eleven at one of our water stops in Carson City. I was on team California that morning and we were determined to get our hands on a juicy In and Out burger so we decided to take a little detour from the 2nd water stop and went half a mile out of the way just to satisfy our craving. It was well worth it!!!! Dan, Charlie, Terence and I were very happy and immediately after our lunch started our first and only climb of the day. On the way up we spotted the first ever “Bear Crossing” sign of the day. That definitely made me pedal a little faster up that mountain!
The whole team waited at the top of Spooner Summit until everyone completed the climb because we all wanted to reach the California state sign at relatively the same time. The descent into Tahoe was absolutely breathtaking. Right as we turned the corner we saw nothing but blue and green. It was unbelievable. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful descents of the trip. Finally we reached the California-Nevada state line… I’m not going to lie, it was a bit anti-climactic… and small… but we were all filled with excitement either way. We took various team photos and hung out at a busy intersection for about half an hour.
That night and the next night we stayed at a lovely church across the street from restaurants and an art fair in the city of South Lake Tahoe. Everyone enjoyed their day off by going to the beach, shopping, watching movies and of course… eating!
-Adali Martinez
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 50: Day off in Ely; and Day 51: Ely, NV to Eureka, NV
Sunday, July 18; and Monday, July 19
Today was a 77 mile day, not terribly steep or long. The scenery looked a lot like the small mountains crossing from Utah into Nevada, and wasn’t particularly spectacular… but then again we’ve been spoiled by states like Colorado.
Our day in Ely, Nevada was far more eventful. David, our new 4k Executive Director, joined us. He is 40, has a wife and a baby girl, has worked and lived in Central Asia, run non-profits, and led outdoor expeditions. Most importantly, he has personal ties to our cause that cause him to be devoted to this organization. He fit right in, joking around with us and chatting. We spent time talking with him about the future of the 4k on our day off, and it’s clear that he has great ideas. Eventually, I envision the 4k growing to something much like Teach for America, something that is prestigious, effective, and in high demand. I am confident that in a few years, I will be proud of how much the 4k has grown thanks to him.
We attended the first Relay for Life where I felt what I expected and wanted to feel. The people were incredibly nice, offering us food and kind words of encouragement. We enjoyed a few games of Bananagrams (a competitive cross between scrabble and crossword puzzles), a dinner of fried chicken and potato salad and delicious free cupcakes (I am very picky with my cupcakes, these had chocolate buttercream frosting inside so they were particularly good and I had to have at least four of them). Jose, Adam, and Mariadina participated in a chocolate pudding eating contest (Jose won but everyone did an impressive job), and Andrew did impressions of our team introductions for David.
We watched as a train went through the mountains, with a wedding reception and a huge cake aboard. I guess in Nevada, that’s the coolest place for a reception. A rainbow lit up the sky, a seemingly appropriate sight for Relay for life. We had seen two full double rainbows once, and it was tempting to chase the pot of gold at either end.
I walked a few laps around the track with a friend whose mother has battled breast cancer several times, and it was at this point that the power of Relay for Life hit me. As I looked at the decorated names on the luminaria bags around the track, I realized how lucky I was not to see the names of anyone I knew. I felt how difficult this event, and these laps must have been for my friend. Krystina is an incredibly strong person, and I admire her ability to smile through the hard times and be a pillar of support for other people every day, despite how draining and difficult it is to bike this much. Thinking of her strength in battling life’s difficult situations keeps me going on days where I would prefer to lie down and fall asleep on anything, even a flight of stairs (this has happened).
Following the ceremony, a breast cancer survivor spoke about how not cancer itself, but all too often fear, kills patients. She shared the moment that her doctor told her it wasn’t a question of if she was going to get cancer, but instead, when. At that point, she decided to be proactive in preventing cancer from attacking her, and was lucky to consequently catch it at an early stage by opting for a biopsy even though her breast tissue appeared normal. I thought about how terrible it must be for girls who are told they have the BRAC gene, who are forced to accept the reality that they will some day have to face cancer. I thought about my mother, and how thankful I’ve been that she’s recently started taking better care of herself, and seeking preventative measures. However, she still hasn’t gotten a full skin cancer screening, which frightens me because I don’t think she knew what sunscreen was until I was born, and nevertheless neglects to use it. Skin cancer is an especially preventable disease, yet if measures aren’t taken, your name could end up on a luminaria bag at Relay for Life. That is something no one should ever have to see.
We attempted to sleep in tents at Relay despite the constant music, many of us to no avail. Luckily, I had earplugs, which were fantastic. I did lose my sleeping mask, though, but my sweatshirt proved to be effective enough. I’m an extremely light sleeper, so however ridiculous earplugs and a sleeping mask may look, I find them to be necessities. However, I still heard them announce ‘It’s 3 am, and we’re going to keep playing the music!’ before blasting country music and heavy metal. I thought it was actually 7 am, and spent the following hours confused, and half awake.
When it finally was 7 am, we awoke to a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and ham donated by the Lions Club. We were so tired that many of us returned to the middle school we were staying at to catch up on our sleep. I cleaned my bike, and David helped me fix my derailleur, teaching me more about bike mechanics in five minutes than I had learned on the entire trip. I was ready to trek to the bike shop for repairs and hefty fees, but thanks to him, I didn’t have to.
Some of the team went to explore the caves in Baker, Nevada, and others to the hot springs/natural pool in town. Instead, I slept for two hours, got a Mcflurry and sweet tea from McDonalds with Chris, and made a trip to the pharmacy. I felt lazy not taking advantage of the surrounding area, but sleeping sounded more appealing than swimming or traveling an hour and a half each way to visit caves.
Lunch that day was donated by a couple who helped organize Relay for Life, and put together a meal for us out of the kindness of their hearts. I still find it incredible that we’ve had free lunch every day, and that people are so generous.
Tomorrow’s a 70 mile day into Austin, which has hot springs, followed by 110 miles to Fallon (downhill!). I’m supposed to drive on the 110 mile day, but since I’ve driven five times already, David kindly agreed to drive for me. I can’t believe we only have 9 biking days and 4 days off left… this trip has gone by far too fast!
Natalie Draisin
Today was a 77 mile day, not terribly steep or long. The scenery looked a lot like the small mountains crossing from Utah into Nevada, and wasn’t particularly spectacular… but then again we’ve been spoiled by states like Colorado.
Our day in Ely, Nevada was far more eventful. David, our new 4k Executive Director, joined us. He is 40, has a wife and a baby girl, has worked and lived in Central Asia, run non-profits, and led outdoor expeditions. Most importantly, he has personal ties to our cause that cause him to be devoted to this organization. He fit right in, joking around with us and chatting. We spent time talking with him about the future of the 4k on our day off, and it’s clear that he has great ideas. Eventually, I envision the 4k growing to something much like Teach for America, something that is prestigious, effective, and in high demand. I am confident that in a few years, I will be proud of how much the 4k has grown thanks to him.
We attended the first Relay for Life where I felt what I expected and wanted to feel. The people were incredibly nice, offering us food and kind words of encouragement. We enjoyed a few games of Bananagrams (a competitive cross between scrabble and crossword puzzles), a dinner of fried chicken and potato salad and delicious free cupcakes (I am very picky with my cupcakes, these had chocolate buttercream frosting inside so they were particularly good and I had to have at least four of them). Jose, Adam, and Mariadina participated in a chocolate pudding eating contest (Jose won but everyone did an impressive job), and Andrew did impressions of our team introductions for David.
We watched as a train went through the mountains, with a wedding reception and a huge cake aboard. I guess in Nevada, that’s the coolest place for a reception. A rainbow lit up the sky, a seemingly appropriate sight for Relay for life. We had seen two full double rainbows once, and it was tempting to chase the pot of gold at either end.
I walked a few laps around the track with a friend whose mother has battled breast cancer several times, and it was at this point that the power of Relay for Life hit me. As I looked at the decorated names on the luminaria bags around the track, I realized how lucky I was not to see the names of anyone I knew. I felt how difficult this event, and these laps must have been for my friend. Krystina is an incredibly strong person, and I admire her ability to smile through the hard times and be a pillar of support for other people every day, despite how draining and difficult it is to bike this much. Thinking of her strength in battling life’s difficult situations keeps me going on days where I would prefer to lie down and fall asleep on anything, even a flight of stairs (this has happened).
Following the ceremony, a breast cancer survivor spoke about how not cancer itself, but all too often fear, kills patients. She shared the moment that her doctor told her it wasn’t a question of if she was going to get cancer, but instead, when. At that point, she decided to be proactive in preventing cancer from attacking her, and was lucky to consequently catch it at an early stage by opting for a biopsy even though her breast tissue appeared normal. I thought about how terrible it must be for girls who are told they have the BRAC gene, who are forced to accept the reality that they will some day have to face cancer. I thought about my mother, and how thankful I’ve been that she’s recently started taking better care of herself, and seeking preventative measures. However, she still hasn’t gotten a full skin cancer screening, which frightens me because I don’t think she knew what sunscreen was until I was born, and nevertheless neglects to use it. Skin cancer is an especially preventable disease, yet if measures aren’t taken, your name could end up on a luminaria bag at Relay for Life. That is something no one should ever have to see.
We attempted to sleep in tents at Relay despite the constant music, many of us to no avail. Luckily, I had earplugs, which were fantastic. I did lose my sleeping mask, though, but my sweatshirt proved to be effective enough. I’m an extremely light sleeper, so however ridiculous earplugs and a sleeping mask may look, I find them to be necessities. However, I still heard them announce ‘It’s 3 am, and we’re going to keep playing the music!’ before blasting country music and heavy metal. I thought it was actually 7 am, and spent the following hours confused, and half awake.
When it finally was 7 am, we awoke to a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and ham donated by the Lions Club. We were so tired that many of us returned to the middle school we were staying at to catch up on our sleep. I cleaned my bike, and David helped me fix my derailleur, teaching me more about bike mechanics in five minutes than I had learned on the entire trip. I was ready to trek to the bike shop for repairs and hefty fees, but thanks to him, I didn’t have to.
Some of the team went to explore the caves in Baker, Nevada, and others to the hot springs/natural pool in town. Instead, I slept for two hours, got a Mcflurry and sweet tea from McDonalds with Chris, and made a trip to the pharmacy. I felt lazy not taking advantage of the surrounding area, but sleeping sounded more appealing than swimming or traveling an hour and a half each way to visit caves.
Lunch that day was donated by a couple who helped organize Relay for Life, and put together a meal for us out of the kindness of their hearts. I still find it incredible that we’ve had free lunch every day, and that people are so generous.
Tomorrow’s a 70 mile day into Austin, which has hot springs, followed by 110 miles to Fallon (downhill!). I’m supposed to drive on the 110 mile day, but since I’ve driven five times already, David kindly agreed to drive for me. I can’t believe we only have 9 biking days and 4 days off left… this trip has gone by far too fast!
Natalie Draisin
Day 43: Green River, UT to Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sunday, July 11
There are times we encounter roads better suited to mountain bikes. We began the day with such a road – a monstrosity of loose gravel on which we fought for balance with every pedal stroke. Riding on this road became a game requiring the utmost concentration to find the firmest patches in the road. Of course, this area also happens to be thick with gnats and mosquitoes that form clouds behind riders in an almost cartoon-like fashion. Luckily, the road ended after about four miles.
The fun did not stop there, however. It’s said that Highway 50 is the “loneliest road in America”, but the next stretch of this road was definitely less traveled. The right lane of the road was overgrown with grass, and the roughness of the pavement, while not easily seen, could be felt with every jolt through our saddles. We had rolling hills similar to what we saw in Missouri, but riding slowly was not an option, for the cloud of gnats would engulf us at speeds lower than around 10 mph.
The majority of the day was hot, dry, and gnat infested. There was, however, little traffic in the roads, and today Kieran decided to ride no hands for 43 miles with Henrik supporting him with water and food. These two continued on as the rest of us stopped for a delicious Subway lunch at an RV park.
In the last 20 mile stretch, we ran into these two stopped at a small store that has supposedly appeared in travel guides for CruiseAmerica. After a short break we entered into the canyons as a brief but strong storm caught us on a climb. The entry into Capitol Reef was rather scenic but also repetitive. It was a great relief to finally roll into the campground. And thus began the first of three straight days of the team’s first true camping experience!
-Charlie Ouyang
There are times we encounter roads better suited to mountain bikes. We began the day with such a road – a monstrosity of loose gravel on which we fought for balance with every pedal stroke. Riding on this road became a game requiring the utmost concentration to find the firmest patches in the road. Of course, this area also happens to be thick with gnats and mosquitoes that form clouds behind riders in an almost cartoon-like fashion. Luckily, the road ended after about four miles.
The fun did not stop there, however. It’s said that Highway 50 is the “loneliest road in America”, but the next stretch of this road was definitely less traveled. The right lane of the road was overgrown with grass, and the roughness of the pavement, while not easily seen, could be felt with every jolt through our saddles. We had rolling hills similar to what we saw in Missouri, but riding slowly was not an option, for the cloud of gnats would engulf us at speeds lower than around 10 mph.
The majority of the day was hot, dry, and gnat infested. There was, however, little traffic in the roads, and today Kieran decided to ride no hands for 43 miles with Henrik supporting him with water and food. These two continued on as the rest of us stopped for a delicious Subway lunch at an RV park.
In the last 20 mile stretch, we ran into these two stopped at a small store that has supposedly appeared in travel guides for CruiseAmerica. After a short break we entered into the canyons as a brief but strong storm caught us on a climb. The entry into Capitol Reef was rather scenic but also repetitive. It was a great relief to finally roll into the campground. And thus began the first of three straight days of the team’s first true camping experience!
-Charlie Ouyang
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day 46: Bryce Canyon, UT to Cedar City, UT
Wednesday, July 14
I felt really sick that morning and stayed on the van. We were camping a night before at Bryce Canyon. We woke up at four. Although I really enjoyed seeing millions of stars, it was not fun waking up so early that sun is not even up. It is hard to gather all my belongings together and therefore take significantly longer to pack. Also, it was so cold in the morning. It started with nice descent until the first water stop at least. But after the second water stop, we were faced with eight percent grade-mountain. Mountains were not as bad as the ones we have climbed before, but it was pretty long. What made things worse was that there were some miscommunications with the lunch van. We have decided to have lunch at mile 63, which, according to the elevation chart, seemed correct. But it happened that the summit came few miles before. People waited for hours for lunch van to come and were starving. It finally came around two. After that summit, it was downhill till the host and it seemed that bikes went a lot faster than the car. We were all so excited to have finally a day off, since previous couple of days has been so difficult. We stayed in a dorm and it was nice to sleep on the mattresses.
-Chorong Song
I felt really sick that morning and stayed on the van. We were camping a night before at Bryce Canyon. We woke up at four. Although I really enjoyed seeing millions of stars, it was not fun waking up so early that sun is not even up. It is hard to gather all my belongings together and therefore take significantly longer to pack. Also, it was so cold in the morning. It started with nice descent until the first water stop at least. But after the second water stop, we were faced with eight percent grade-mountain. Mountains were not as bad as the ones we have climbed before, but it was pretty long. What made things worse was that there were some miscommunications with the lunch van. We have decided to have lunch at mile 63, which, according to the elevation chart, seemed correct. But it happened that the summit came few miles before. People waited for hours for lunch van to come and were starving. It finally came around two. After that summit, it was downhill till the host and it seemed that bikes went a lot faster than the car. We were all so excited to have finally a day off, since previous couple of days has been so difficult. We stayed in a dorm and it was nice to sleep on the mattresses.
-Chorong Song
Day 44: Capitol Reef National Park, UT to Escalante, UT
Monday, July 12
Expectations can be friend or foe. Sometimes we go into days expecting the worst, and at the end of the ride find that things weren’t quite as bad as we’d expected. Other times we head in unprepared for what lies ahead, and become devastated with each new obstacle that rears its ugly head. Today’s ride fell squarely into the latter of these two; we went in expecting a few tough climbs, but what we got was nothing less than the hardest day of the trip so far.
We started off with a climb out of Capitol Reef National Park, and quickly realized we’d have to add a couple of miles onto the original total. Not the best way to start the day. We weren’t given much time to get warmed up; once we left the park we immediately hit a steady climb out of the canyon. My group, which dubbed itself Team Testosterone (in light of our high concentration of Y chromosomes), had some pretty strong climbers in it, and we quickly made our way to the top of the first hill. At this point I stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break, telling my group I would meet them at the top of the climb. As fate would have it the directions were wrong, and my group missed the turn and added yet more miles onto the day. I was the lucky one who stopped behind to figure out what was up, and had a good laugh as I watched them make their way back. Still, they should be thankful they didn’t go as far as Kieran, who got a nice tour of a Utah grist mill before realizing he’d gone ten miles out of the way.
Eventually we got back on track, and started on the long climb we’d all been waiting for. Dubbed “Hog’s Back,” this climb was extremely frustrating because every once in a while we’d start making our way back down the hill, essentially wasting some of the ground we’d arduously climbed up. I stopped at what I thought was the top- where cows were parading across the road, no less- to wait for the rest of my group. There we celebrated being done with the toughest part of the day, and talked a bit about what we’d thought of the ascent. It was here that Kevin said he thought it was the toughest climb of the trip so far. If only he’d known what was in store ahead. After descending for about a minute, we rounded a bend to see a steeper grade than any previously encountered. Worse yet, we could see the road winding its way up the mountain for many miles to come. If we’d thought that climb so far had been tough, the rest of it was basically the state of Utah trying to beat us into submission. I kept looking up around each corner for the water stop, only to be rewarded with more of the mountain in front of me, almost as punishment for getting my hopes up. I finally made it to the top, and at this point I didn’t even have enough energy to be excited about getting there. I wordlessly grabbed some food and sat down to await the rest of the team.
We were given a bit of a reprieve over the next fifteen miles, as we reaped the benefits of our long climb. Considering we start and finish at sea level, one of my mottos for this trip has been, “what goes up, must come down.” Or at least, that’s what I tell myself when we’re going up tough hills. On this day, however, we weren’t even given much of a break on the descents, as a pretty strong headwind came to impede our progress. Nevertheless the miles downhill went by pretty quickly, as my group enjoyed making our way out of the mountains. The day’s elevation chart had essentially told us we were done with any difficult climbing, and so we looked forward to a comfortable ride into Escalante. Alexis, who had driven the van ahead, told us that there were some hills in store, but nothing too difficult. I would later learn she was trying to protect us from the truth, because what she had seen along the rest of the way was so difficult she had no idea what to say.
We entered what the group called “Devil’s Backbone,” which may or may not be a name the 4K made up, but it certainly seems appropriate for the hellish environment we had to work our way through. It began with a steep descent into a canyon along a very narrow pass, with no rail guards or anything for protection along the sides. I went along pretty slowly, not wanting to risk anything for a little bit of extra speed. I would later learn, almost as a fun fact, that this part of the ride along Highway 12 is considered one of the most scenic drives in America. It’s funny how this was lost on me, as I was forced to focus squarely upon keeping my bike from veering off a cliff in light of the strong winds present on top of the pass. The way out of this canyon was filled with some very steep hills, and it finally finished with a two mile climb at steep grade to get out. Once we reached the top, it was almost like entering another planet, as there were no signs of life or civilization stirring under the hot desert sun. It took a bit more climbing to get out of this eerie wasteland, and to at long last be done with climbing. We slowly made our way down to the town, and figured it was appropriate to stop and celebrate with a round of drinks for surviving the worst day so far. It was all we could do to keep ourselves from going insane. I’m proud we all made it through the worst day so far, but I can’t say I’d jump at the chance to go through this day again.
-Chris Tait
Expectations can be friend or foe. Sometimes we go into days expecting the worst, and at the end of the ride find that things weren’t quite as bad as we’d expected. Other times we head in unprepared for what lies ahead, and become devastated with each new obstacle that rears its ugly head. Today’s ride fell squarely into the latter of these two; we went in expecting a few tough climbs, but what we got was nothing less than the hardest day of the trip so far.
We started off with a climb out of Capitol Reef National Park, and quickly realized we’d have to add a couple of miles onto the original total. Not the best way to start the day. We weren’t given much time to get warmed up; once we left the park we immediately hit a steady climb out of the canyon. My group, which dubbed itself Team Testosterone (in light of our high concentration of Y chromosomes), had some pretty strong climbers in it, and we quickly made our way to the top of the first hill. At this point I stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break, telling my group I would meet them at the top of the climb. As fate would have it the directions were wrong, and my group missed the turn and added yet more miles onto the day. I was the lucky one who stopped behind to figure out what was up, and had a good laugh as I watched them make their way back. Still, they should be thankful they didn’t go as far as Kieran, who got a nice tour of a Utah grist mill before realizing he’d gone ten miles out of the way.
Eventually we got back on track, and started on the long climb we’d all been waiting for. Dubbed “Hog’s Back,” this climb was extremely frustrating because every once in a while we’d start making our way back down the hill, essentially wasting some of the ground we’d arduously climbed up. I stopped at what I thought was the top- where cows were parading across the road, no less- to wait for the rest of my group. There we celebrated being done with the toughest part of the day, and talked a bit about what we’d thought of the ascent. It was here that Kevin said he thought it was the toughest climb of the trip so far. If only he’d known what was in store ahead. After descending for about a minute, we rounded a bend to see a steeper grade than any previously encountered. Worse yet, we could see the road winding its way up the mountain for many miles to come. If we’d thought that climb so far had been tough, the rest of it was basically the state of Utah trying to beat us into submission. I kept looking up around each corner for the water stop, only to be rewarded with more of the mountain in front of me, almost as punishment for getting my hopes up. I finally made it to the top, and at this point I didn’t even have enough energy to be excited about getting there. I wordlessly grabbed some food and sat down to await the rest of the team.
We were given a bit of a reprieve over the next fifteen miles, as we reaped the benefits of our long climb. Considering we start and finish at sea level, one of my mottos for this trip has been, “what goes up, must come down.” Or at least, that’s what I tell myself when we’re going up tough hills. On this day, however, we weren’t even given much of a break on the descents, as a pretty strong headwind came to impede our progress. Nevertheless the miles downhill went by pretty quickly, as my group enjoyed making our way out of the mountains. The day’s elevation chart had essentially told us we were done with any difficult climbing, and so we looked forward to a comfortable ride into Escalante. Alexis, who had driven the van ahead, told us that there were some hills in store, but nothing too difficult. I would later learn she was trying to protect us from the truth, because what she had seen along the rest of the way was so difficult she had no idea what to say.
We entered what the group called “Devil’s Backbone,” which may or may not be a name the 4K made up, but it certainly seems appropriate for the hellish environment we had to work our way through. It began with a steep descent into a canyon along a very narrow pass, with no rail guards or anything for protection along the sides. I went along pretty slowly, not wanting to risk anything for a little bit of extra speed. I would later learn, almost as a fun fact, that this part of the ride along Highway 12 is considered one of the most scenic drives in America. It’s funny how this was lost on me, as I was forced to focus squarely upon keeping my bike from veering off a cliff in light of the strong winds present on top of the pass. The way out of this canyon was filled with some very steep hills, and it finally finished with a two mile climb at steep grade to get out. Once we reached the top, it was almost like entering another planet, as there were no signs of life or civilization stirring under the hot desert sun. It took a bit more climbing to get out of this eerie wasteland, and to at long last be done with climbing. We slowly made our way down to the town, and figured it was appropriate to stop and celebrate with a round of drinks for surviving the worst day so far. It was all we could do to keep ourselves from going insane. I’m proud we all made it through the worst day so far, but I can’t say I’d jump at the chance to go through this day again.
-Chris Tait
Day 42: Moab, UT to Green River, Utah
Saturday, July 10
So begins the first day of the third leg. A 5 a.m. wake up had us staggering around with forever shocking efficiency for such an indecently tired crew. As we cruised out a red dawn greeted us with what we thought was the promise of a sizzling day. Did I mention that we ate? No that’s because we cruised out of the church parking lot and headed for the diner. Yes the DINER! The pastor who had so kindly given of the church space had ALSO donated 25 breakfasts each to the riders own discretion, delicious I had buckwheat pancakes, hash browns and coffee. Does it get any better? Yes! Happy Birthday baby Kieran! The staff brought him an encore of ice cream in celebration! Needless to say no one felt like moving after the massive meal, but we hoisted ourselves up and formed a slightly bloated morning circle. After morning circle the usual herding cats/ making groups for the day ensued (a short one of 51 miles or so...and the elevation chart, a work of art (all down hill)) my group was team new jersey, as in new bike jerseys. Coincidentally many of the speed demons had new jerseys so we averaged a seamless 21 mph! Nice! Team New Jersey quickly came upon Green River and were wondering where it was until we reached the epicenter, just kidding there was no epicenter. Green River may I mention is the only town within a reasonable distance (100 miles) from Moab and ( ) aside from our other options, Solitude Utah and Desolate...Green river does sound a little more inviting although the surrounding landscape was doubtless no less stark than the afore mentioned.
Getting in early was fantastic and we were greeted by a selection of sandwich fixings, ants on a log and home made jelly! The coolest part is that it all was provided by folks our age! Every one was surprisingly wiped out by such a short day after a day off. The napping was brought to an abrupt end when we were summoned to a walking tour of town lead by one of the volunteers. The volunteer explained what was around in town, their aspirations for the town and the booms and busts of the past. After the walking tour the group was split and some of us were talked to rake up glass, batteries and the like and others were delegated to the consignment shop to sort and organize clothes, weeding was also a quintessential part of the days tasks. Giving back was a very cool thing to do but we were all exhausted by the end of the hour and a half. The daily showers were definitely what the doctor ordered. Once refreshed by the interestingly mineral laden water much of the team wondered into a super cool coffee house...the only one actually. Bedecked with a record player, native art, interesting furniture and an impressive book collection, not to mention marvelous coffee drinks etc.! Diner at 6:30 summoned us to our hosts where we scarfed down delicious burritos and then tried to fall asleep at 9 (sun still shining) in lue of the next mornings 4 am wake up.
That’s all for now.
- Amelia Lindbergh
PS Miss you Kristine!
So begins the first day of the third leg. A 5 a.m. wake up had us staggering around with forever shocking efficiency for such an indecently tired crew. As we cruised out a red dawn greeted us with what we thought was the promise of a sizzling day. Did I mention that we ate? No that’s because we cruised out of the church parking lot and headed for the diner. Yes the DINER! The pastor who had so kindly given of the church space had ALSO donated 25 breakfasts each to the riders own discretion, delicious I had buckwheat pancakes, hash browns and coffee. Does it get any better? Yes! Happy Birthday baby Kieran! The staff brought him an encore of ice cream in celebration! Needless to say no one felt like moving after the massive meal, but we hoisted ourselves up and formed a slightly bloated morning circle. After morning circle the usual herding cats/ making groups for the day ensued (a short one of 51 miles or so...and the elevation chart, a work of art (all down hill)) my group was team new jersey, as in new bike jerseys. Coincidentally many of the speed demons had new jerseys so we averaged a seamless 21 mph! Nice! Team New Jersey quickly came upon Green River and were wondering where it was until we reached the epicenter, just kidding there was no epicenter. Green River may I mention is the only town within a reasonable distance (100 miles) from Moab and ( ) aside from our other options, Solitude Utah and Desolate...Green river does sound a little more inviting although the surrounding landscape was doubtless no less stark than the afore mentioned.
Getting in early was fantastic and we were greeted by a selection of sandwich fixings, ants on a log and home made jelly! The coolest part is that it all was provided by folks our age! Every one was surprisingly wiped out by such a short day after a day off. The napping was brought to an abrupt end when we were summoned to a walking tour of town lead by one of the volunteers. The volunteer explained what was around in town, their aspirations for the town and the booms and busts of the past. After the walking tour the group was split and some of us were talked to rake up glass, batteries and the like and others were delegated to the consignment shop to sort and organize clothes, weeding was also a quintessential part of the days tasks. Giving back was a very cool thing to do but we were all exhausted by the end of the hour and a half. The daily showers were definitely what the doctor ordered. Once refreshed by the interestingly mineral laden water much of the team wondered into a super cool coffee house...the only one actually. Bedecked with a record player, native art, interesting furniture and an impressive book collection, not to mention marvelous coffee drinks etc.! Diner at 6:30 summoned us to our hosts where we scarfed down delicious burritos and then tried to fall asleep at 9 (sun still shining) in lue of the next mornings 4 am wake up.
That’s all for now.
- Amelia Lindbergh
PS Miss you Kristine!
Day 29: Arapahoe, NE to Benkalman, NE
Sunday, June 27
It’s rare for us to have a pretty uneventful day, but today seemed like just another 93 mile ride. It started with an early rise and sorrowful farewell to our wonderful hosts in Arapahoe, NE, and no one wanted to leave. But to San Fran we must go; with a gradual climb the entire day and a strong crosswind in the morning, it seemed that we would never reach Benkelmann, NE. Our only saving grace was that the temperature stayed in the warm 80s, and as the day wore on we seemed to actually gain more energy. Henrik and Kristen were ecstatic at Germany’s defeat of England in the World Cup, and Pooja and Sara were able to amass a hearty and delicious lunch in a cool, shaded spot. We finally arrived at the Elementary School where everyone had enough energy to play a game of basketball before hitting the showers and sitting down to a delicious dinner of fruit, pasta and beef. The best part of the day: We’ve finally crossed into the mountain time zone, so we have an extra hour to sleep tonight!
-Adam Ammar
It’s rare for us to have a pretty uneventful day, but today seemed like just another 93 mile ride. It started with an early rise and sorrowful farewell to our wonderful hosts in Arapahoe, NE, and no one wanted to leave. But to San Fran we must go; with a gradual climb the entire day and a strong crosswind in the morning, it seemed that we would never reach Benkelmann, NE. Our only saving grace was that the temperature stayed in the warm 80s, and as the day wore on we seemed to actually gain more energy. Henrik and Kristen were ecstatic at Germany’s defeat of England in the World Cup, and Pooja and Sara were able to amass a hearty and delicious lunch in a cool, shaded spot. We finally arrived at the Elementary School where everyone had enough energy to play a game of basketball before hitting the showers and sitting down to a delicious dinner of fruit, pasta and beef. The best part of the day: We’ve finally crossed into the mountain time zone, so we have an extra hour to sleep tonight!
-Adam Ammar
Day 4: Greensburg, PA to Butler, PA
Wednesday, June 2nd
We stayed at YMCA and my eyes were open at five thirty. I was surprised to find myself with getting used to wake up so early. I tried to pack as fast as I could and get ready to hit the road. I stayed on the van a day before and I could not get more excited to get back on the bike after one day’s rest. The ride was only sixty two miles and after climbing Appalachian Mountains, nothing could be harder. Although there were some hills in between, there were many down hills as well. I never thought biking could be exciting sports, climbing down the hills after struggling to go up that high is definitely so much rewarding and exciting. I started as one of the weakest riders, and I was much concerned that I would not be able to catch up with the group, but I could already feel that my legs got much stronger. The ride did not go as smooth as we thought. Although the course itself was not very challenging, due to so much traffic, we always had to extra careful especially when there are so many gravels on the shoulder of the road. Also, I am not much of a big eater, however since the trip started, I started binging during the water stops and lunch knowing that I won’t be able to keep up unless I am full of energy. We had burgers for lunch. Normally, I would hate to eat burgers, however, after biking miles, I could not wish for more. It is actually amusing how adaptive humans including I can be to the environment given. Also, it made me think that I have not been grateful enough for what I was given. The main reason I started the trip was to fight the cancer along with my dad who is going through chemotherapy. I have to admit that I could face the dad as sick as he is. I just could not bear to see him in so much pain. In my memory, he has been always so strong and supportive for me. Maybe, I was selfish to begin with. However, as I meet more cancer patients, generous supporters and other riders along the with the demanding nature of the ride itself, I am learning to be a better person; it helps me cope with my dad’s illness and I am not alone in the world who is afraid and full of fear.
-Chorong Song
We stayed at YMCA and my eyes were open at five thirty. I was surprised to find myself with getting used to wake up so early. I tried to pack as fast as I could and get ready to hit the road. I stayed on the van a day before and I could not get more excited to get back on the bike after one day’s rest. The ride was only sixty two miles and after climbing Appalachian Mountains, nothing could be harder. Although there were some hills in between, there were many down hills as well. I never thought biking could be exciting sports, climbing down the hills after struggling to go up that high is definitely so much rewarding and exciting. I started as one of the weakest riders, and I was much concerned that I would not be able to catch up with the group, but I could already feel that my legs got much stronger. The ride did not go as smooth as we thought. Although the course itself was not very challenging, due to so much traffic, we always had to extra careful especially when there are so many gravels on the shoulder of the road. Also, I am not much of a big eater, however since the trip started, I started binging during the water stops and lunch knowing that I won’t be able to keep up unless I am full of energy. We had burgers for lunch. Normally, I would hate to eat burgers, however, after biking miles, I could not wish for more. It is actually amusing how adaptive humans including I can be to the environment given. Also, it made me think that I have not been grateful enough for what I was given. The main reason I started the trip was to fight the cancer along with my dad who is going through chemotherapy. I have to admit that I could face the dad as sick as he is. I just could not bear to see him in so much pain. In my memory, he has been always so strong and supportive for me. Maybe, I was selfish to begin with. However, as I meet more cancer patients, generous supporters and other riders along the with the demanding nature of the ride itself, I am learning to be a better person; it helps me cope with my dad’s illness and I am not alone in the world who is afraid and full of fear.
-Chorong Song
Friday, July 9, 2010
Day 40 and 41: Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT
Thursday and Friday, July 8th and July 9th
It was 4:00am, the birds weren’t chirping, the sun wasn’t shining but our cell phone alarms sure were blasting. Today was our earliest wake up yet, but for good reason. We had a 100 mile day ahead of us with an expected high of 94 degrees! Welcome to the DESERT 4k!!!! To make matters worse, we stayed on actual beds in Grand Junction! Mattresses are rare but wonderful commodities on the 4k. Leaving the comfort of a mattress is a struggle. But of course we all woke up and went on with our regular morning routine. For breakfast we had about 100 bagels to choose from thanks to the generosity of Grand Junction’s own Main Street Bagels. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon as we dedicated our ride at our morning circle.
The first 20 miles of the ride were a bit terrifying. Apparently it’s NOT illegal for cyclist to ride on the I-70 in Colorado or Utah. This is the first time we intentionally ride on an interstate… key word: intentionally! It was difficult to get used to cars and trucks speeding past us at 75 miles an hour, but we survived. The tail winds helped us get through the interstate quickly. Tail winds are also a rare luxury for us and we like to take advantage of them when we can. One of the highlights of the say was going 25 mph up a hill.
It was bitter sweet to leave Colorado today. It definitely lived up to its name “Colorful Colorado”. The best word to describe the past week in Colorado is MAJESTIC! It’s sad to leave such a beautiful state, but exciting to finally get to Utah! Utah’s state sign read “Life Elevated”. Only 3 states to go!
I am always amazed as to how quickly the scenery changes from one state to the other. At around mile 70 we began to bike alongside the Colorado River (in Utah). Surrounding the river were 30-story-high mesas (flat top mountains) that are difficult to describe. The contrast between the clay red of the mesas, the deep blue sky and the greenish-blue river was spectacular. I felt like we were riding through a story book. The only down side to today was the heat: after lunch the temperature quickly shot up to close to 100 degrees. The one thing that kept me going was Chris’ narration of Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows (book 7). His dialogue was right on point, although his British accent began to sound more and more like a mix between a Scottish, Irish and Swedish accent. He kept it going for about 90 out of the 100 miles… I was on the edge of my saddle with suspense.
The heat started to get to us, so Meghan, Kieran, Dan and I decided to take a little swim in the Colorado River. We only had 5 miles left in the day but it was completely worth it. It was a great way to cool off and really experience the beauty of Moab.
We were able to dry off quickly with the heat and we finally we rolled into Moab. It’s always great to walk into an air conditioned church after a long day, especially when the congregation greets us with ice cold pink lemonade (my favorite). Dinner was fantastic! We had Navajo tacos with beans, beef and an assortment of toppings. I’m familiar with regular tacos held together by a tortilla, but these were held together by fried bread. I don’t want to admit it… but I have to say that fried bread is definitely tastier than a tortilla. It was great to talk to all the community members. They were all so excited to have us here for two days. We are all ready for a day off here. We have plans to sleep in, shop around for bike gear and explore the beautiful Arch’s National Park.
- Adali
It was 4:00am, the birds weren’t chirping, the sun wasn’t shining but our cell phone alarms sure were blasting. Today was our earliest wake up yet, but for good reason. We had a 100 mile day ahead of us with an expected high of 94 degrees! Welcome to the DESERT 4k!!!! To make matters worse, we stayed on actual beds in Grand Junction! Mattresses are rare but wonderful commodities on the 4k. Leaving the comfort of a mattress is a struggle. But of course we all woke up and went on with our regular morning routine. For breakfast we had about 100 bagels to choose from thanks to the generosity of Grand Junction’s own Main Street Bagels. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon as we dedicated our ride at our morning circle.
The first 20 miles of the ride were a bit terrifying. Apparently it’s NOT illegal for cyclist to ride on the I-70 in Colorado or Utah. This is the first time we intentionally ride on an interstate… key word: intentionally! It was difficult to get used to cars and trucks speeding past us at 75 miles an hour, but we survived. The tail winds helped us get through the interstate quickly. Tail winds are also a rare luxury for us and we like to take advantage of them when we can. One of the highlights of the say was going 25 mph up a hill.
It was bitter sweet to leave Colorado today. It definitely lived up to its name “Colorful Colorado”. The best word to describe the past week in Colorado is MAJESTIC! It’s sad to leave such a beautiful state, but exciting to finally get to Utah! Utah’s state sign read “Life Elevated”. Only 3 states to go!
I am always amazed as to how quickly the scenery changes from one state to the other. At around mile 70 we began to bike alongside the Colorado River (in Utah). Surrounding the river were 30-story-high mesas (flat top mountains) that are difficult to describe. The contrast between the clay red of the mesas, the deep blue sky and the greenish-blue river was spectacular. I felt like we were riding through a story book. The only down side to today was the heat: after lunch the temperature quickly shot up to close to 100 degrees. The one thing that kept me going was Chris’ narration of Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows (book 7). His dialogue was right on point, although his British accent began to sound more and more like a mix between a Scottish, Irish and Swedish accent. He kept it going for about 90 out of the 100 miles… I was on the edge of my saddle with suspense.
The heat started to get to us, so Meghan, Kieran, Dan and I decided to take a little swim in the Colorado River. We only had 5 miles left in the day but it was completely worth it. It was a great way to cool off and really experience the beauty of Moab.
We were able to dry off quickly with the heat and we finally we rolled into Moab. It’s always great to walk into an air conditioned church after a long day, especially when the congregation greets us with ice cold pink lemonade (my favorite). Dinner was fantastic! We had Navajo tacos with beans, beef and an assortment of toppings. I’m familiar with regular tacos held together by a tortilla, but these were held together by fried bread. I don’t want to admit it… but I have to say that fried bread is definitely tastier than a tortilla. It was great to talk to all the community members. They were all so excited to have us here for two days. We are all ready for a day off here. We have plans to sleep in, shop around for bike gear and explore the beautiful Arch’s National Park.
- Adali
Day 35: Estes Park, CO to Granby, CO
Saturday, July 3rd
The fro.
How would he fit it in his helmet? That was the question running through most of our minds as we awaited breakfast, accompanied by Dave Luongo (owner of the fro) a director from ’05 and Chris and Tom, directors from last year. It was a welcome distraction from the 22 mile climb awaiting us just a short distance away.
To describe the climb of Trail Ridge would to be to take away from the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, so prepare for the underestimation of the summer. Arriving at the toll building at the entrance to US-34/Trail Ridge Road, we were each asked to contribute $10 as we passed GO. Ascending the weaving road that would lead to a total altitude of 12,300 feet left our team breathless not only due to the thinning air and physical exertion, but also with the panoramic views that came with each clearing in the trees and lookout point along the road.
Our second day of climbing in the Rockies along Trail Ridge was less steep but longer, yielding more opportunity for photos and more views that encouraged the team to stop more often. Around 5 miles from the summit, most 4Kers pulled to the side of the road for a water stop and photo opportunity at the “4K Rock,” which remained exclusive to the 4Kers even as the Bike-and-Builders tried to approach (Thank you, Chris Louie). Unfortunately, Trail Ridge Road was unpaved, and the harsh headwinds we encountered on the end of our path up the hill nearly pushed some riders off the cliff, if not off of their bikes for a break. The icy peaks above the tree line and the sparse forested areas below that speckled the landscape provided ample reason to stop and take a breather, and left us all exuberant as we stopped for lunch at the Rocky Mountain National Park lodge.
The beautiful and speedy descent lasted several miles down the mountain and was a welcomed follow up to the miles of climbing that had preceded it. Riding toward Granby, we were exhausted but proud to be part of a team that had undertaken such an enormous challenge and succeeded…welcomed at the church by a mandatory van-cleaning session after the largest climb of our trip. Welcome to the 4K.
-Kieran Coleman
The fro.
How would he fit it in his helmet? That was the question running through most of our minds as we awaited breakfast, accompanied by Dave Luongo (owner of the fro) a director from ’05 and Chris and Tom, directors from last year. It was a welcome distraction from the 22 mile climb awaiting us just a short distance away.
To describe the climb of Trail Ridge would to be to take away from the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, so prepare for the underestimation of the summer. Arriving at the toll building at the entrance to US-34/Trail Ridge Road, we were each asked to contribute $10 as we passed GO. Ascending the weaving road that would lead to a total altitude of 12,300 feet left our team breathless not only due to the thinning air and physical exertion, but also with the panoramic views that came with each clearing in the trees and lookout point along the road.
Our second day of climbing in the Rockies along Trail Ridge was less steep but longer, yielding more opportunity for photos and more views that encouraged the team to stop more often. Around 5 miles from the summit, most 4Kers pulled to the side of the road for a water stop and photo opportunity at the “4K Rock,” which remained exclusive to the 4Kers even as the Bike-and-Builders tried to approach (Thank you, Chris Louie). Unfortunately, Trail Ridge Road was unpaved, and the harsh headwinds we encountered on the end of our path up the hill nearly pushed some riders off the cliff, if not off of their bikes for a break. The icy peaks above the tree line and the sparse forested areas below that speckled the landscape provided ample reason to stop and take a breather, and left us all exuberant as we stopped for lunch at the Rocky Mountain National Park lodge.
The beautiful and speedy descent lasted several miles down the mountain and was a welcomed follow up to the miles of climbing that had preceded it. Riding toward Granby, we were exhausted but proud to be part of a team that had undertaken such an enormous challenge and succeeded…welcomed at the church by a mandatory van-cleaning session after the largest climb of our trip. Welcome to the 4K.
-Kieran Coleman
Day 37: Kremmling, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO
Monday, July 5, 2010
After celebrating the 4th of July in Kremmling, Colorado we were awaken at 5 am to continue on our journey. At the town square’s showing of fireworks the night before, we met a fellow long distance cyclist – David. The night was getting cold, and since he normally camps out every night, we invited him to join us in the warmth of the church. At the breakfast table he shared his tale: he is singlehandedly traveling the Continental Divide (from Canada to Mexico) with just the bag on his bike and a few maps –nothing planned in advance nor food guaranteed. He made us all really think how the gig we’ve got isn’t half bad.
David and the 4K parted ways around 6:30 and we headed outside for morning circle – those on the team still sleepy were brutally awakened by the bitter cold temperature of 38 degrees that met us that morning. We decided to instead hold morning circle inside, and geared up with leg warmers and as many layers as we could and we set off into the sunrise.
Team Mucus consisted of Dana (team captain and hence the name), Erica, Andrew, Kristine and myself. We encountered what looked to be fog, but ended up being clouds considering how high up we were. We made one of our first turns and encountered the major feat of the day: a thirty-mile, hill-infested dirt road. We were all fairly warm after we reached the top of the first big climb, and surprisingly Andrew’s ThickSlick tires (which normally do not hold well to the ground) served him well on all the gravel and dirt.
Many more climbs and descents followed on this horrific road and there were even times when there were bits of pavement in between all the dirt/gravel. Fortunately for us, Kristine remembered where some of these were from last year, but while that prior knowledge kept her safe from the dangerous changes in terrain, it did not help her against the somewhat suicidal deer that ran in front of her. Luckily neither she nor the deer was harmed during the course of the day. The most memorable descent by far was the almost three mile descent between two mountains, only to see on your way down that you had to make a left turn at the bottom and climb right back up the adjacent mountain. It was after this climb that poor Dana had to leave Team Mucus for all the mucus in her lungs inhibited her ability to breathe. Kevin reassured us that the top was near, and we trekked on for a ridiculous amount of time before it became clear to us that Kevin was lying and the top was not soon at all.
When we finally reached the top, however, the descent was awesome. The majority of the rest of the day was downhill/flat, and it was truly amazing to see the transition from the tree-filled mountains turn to red rock and stone. Yet another reminder that we are definitely on our way out of the Rockies!
We moved lunch up to the 50 mile mark because the mountains were deceptively long. It was here that Terence and Amelia went for a dip in the Colorado River and Kieran “craiged” the van by backing it up into a tree. Woops!
Probably the most rewarding part of the day was the end, but not for the obvious reason of almost being done – but instead the beautiful bike path that took us along the Colorado River. (Pictures will be posted soon). It was here that I got my first flat tire, and as a result can no longer say that I’ve trekked across the country without a flat. Luckily Kristine changed my flat in record time (one that may rival Henrik’s record – this is to be determined) and we entered Glenwood Springs a little past 7pm.
Quite a long day, but a gorgeous one at that!
-Krystina Laucik
PS – For those of you who are concerned about our valiant team captain Dana – she went to the doctor and found out she has a sinus infection and is currently on antibiotics!
After celebrating the 4th of July in Kremmling, Colorado we were awaken at 5 am to continue on our journey. At the town square’s showing of fireworks the night before, we met a fellow long distance cyclist – David. The night was getting cold, and since he normally camps out every night, we invited him to join us in the warmth of the church. At the breakfast table he shared his tale: he is singlehandedly traveling the Continental Divide (from Canada to Mexico) with just the bag on his bike and a few maps –nothing planned in advance nor food guaranteed. He made us all really think how the gig we’ve got isn’t half bad.
David and the 4K parted ways around 6:30 and we headed outside for morning circle – those on the team still sleepy were brutally awakened by the bitter cold temperature of 38 degrees that met us that morning. We decided to instead hold morning circle inside, and geared up with leg warmers and as many layers as we could and we set off into the sunrise.
Team Mucus consisted of Dana (team captain and hence the name), Erica, Andrew, Kristine and myself. We encountered what looked to be fog, but ended up being clouds considering how high up we were. We made one of our first turns and encountered the major feat of the day: a thirty-mile, hill-infested dirt road. We were all fairly warm after we reached the top of the first big climb, and surprisingly Andrew’s ThickSlick tires (which normally do not hold well to the ground) served him well on all the gravel and dirt.
Many more climbs and descents followed on this horrific road and there were even times when there were bits of pavement in between all the dirt/gravel. Fortunately for us, Kristine remembered where some of these were from last year, but while that prior knowledge kept her safe from the dangerous changes in terrain, it did not help her against the somewhat suicidal deer that ran in front of her. Luckily neither she nor the deer was harmed during the course of the day. The most memorable descent by far was the almost three mile descent between two mountains, only to see on your way down that you had to make a left turn at the bottom and climb right back up the adjacent mountain. It was after this climb that poor Dana had to leave Team Mucus for all the mucus in her lungs inhibited her ability to breathe. Kevin reassured us that the top was near, and we trekked on for a ridiculous amount of time before it became clear to us that Kevin was lying and the top was not soon at all.
When we finally reached the top, however, the descent was awesome. The majority of the rest of the day was downhill/flat, and it was truly amazing to see the transition from the tree-filled mountains turn to red rock and stone. Yet another reminder that we are definitely on our way out of the Rockies!
We moved lunch up to the 50 mile mark because the mountains were deceptively long. It was here that Terence and Amelia went for a dip in the Colorado River and Kieran “craiged” the van by backing it up into a tree. Woops!
Probably the most rewarding part of the day was the end, but not for the obvious reason of almost being done – but instead the beautiful bike path that took us along the Colorado River. (Pictures will be posted soon). It was here that I got my first flat tire, and as a result can no longer say that I’ve trekked across the country without a flat. Luckily Kristine changed my flat in record time (one that may rival Henrik’s record – this is to be determined) and we entered Glenwood Springs a little past 7pm.
Quite a long day, but a gorgeous one at that!
-Krystina Laucik
PS – For those of you who are concerned about our valiant team captain Dana – she went to the doctor and found out she has a sinus infection and is currently on antibiotics!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day 36: Grandby, Co to Kremmling, CO
Sunday, July 4rth
What better way to celebrate America‘s Independence Day than a lazy, 28-mile downhill ride into Kremmling, Colorado? We started the day by sleeping in until 6:30 am (I’m not being sarcastic) and cruised out of Grandby. Last night, we watched the fireworks in Grandby after the rodeo and several of us continued the celebration of the 4th today by wearing American “flair” on our bikes. All groups took their time getting into Kremmling by exploring what Hot Sulpher Springs had to offer and their curiously named local establishments. We rode through beautiful Byers Canyon with horses on the left and deer jumping along to the right just as a train wound around the steep canyon walls above the river; tumbleweed was blowing across Main Street, Kremmling and the only thing missing to make this a real Western was dueling cowboys.
Groups arrived early into Kremmling and more or less took it easy afterwards. Tonight everyone plans to watch the fireworks over the cliffs that hang above Kremmling. Happy 4th of July everyone!
- Kristen Schubert
What better way to celebrate America‘s Independence Day than a lazy, 28-mile downhill ride into Kremmling, Colorado? We started the day by sleeping in until 6:30 am (I’m not being sarcastic) and cruised out of Grandby. Last night, we watched the fireworks in Grandby after the rodeo and several of us continued the celebration of the 4th today by wearing American “flair” on our bikes. All groups took their time getting into Kremmling by exploring what Hot Sulpher Springs had to offer and their curiously named local establishments. We rode through beautiful Byers Canyon with horses on the left and deer jumping along to the right just as a train wound around the steep canyon walls above the river; tumbleweed was blowing across Main Street, Kremmling and the only thing missing to make this a real Western was dueling cowboys.
Groups arrived early into Kremmling and more or less took it easy afterwards. Tonight everyone plans to watch the fireworks over the cliffs that hang above Kremmling. Happy 4th of July everyone!
- Kristen Schubert
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Day 34: Boulder, CO to Estes Park, CO
Friday. July 2nd
FINALLY, The Rocky Mountains.
Longingly awaited by some, feared by others, suspiciously eyed by all during our ride into Boulder and during our day-off in this beautiful resort of liberalism in the heart of Colorado. Reinforced by two 4K alumni we left the First Baptist Church between 6.30 and 7.00, heading north. They suggested not to take Lee Hill Road, as originally planned, but to take the flatter and 5 miles longer detour around the steepest part of the mountain. All 4kers except the fearless Kristen, Amelia, Abhishek and Henrik opted for the longer route and enjoyed a rather gradual ascent. Meanwhile, the quartet was greeted by a 14% incline already after the first switchback but was compensated for their efforts with a marvelous descent. Only Abhishek got unlucky. He jammed his chain and was set back for several minutes but caught up quickly without breaking into sweat.
All riders met again on Lefthand Canyon Road on their way across the first real mountain pass of this trip. The views were fantastic, the roads predominantly in excellent condition and the weather ideal for a nice ride. The roads weren't too steep, but sometimes averaged 7-8% for a long stretch which can be tedious in high altitude. Several of us complained about the thin air, only Amelia couldn't stop babbling how nice it smells and how clean it is.
After around 18 miles we arrived at the tiny city of Ward. What was formerly a mining settlement seemed to have turned into a hiding place for the last hippies in America. But to our surprise, they were serving great espresso, which was a rare treat in the farmlands of the Midwest. From Ward, it was only another half mile to the mountain pass where we took a water stop and regrouped.
After the pass, we had another 32 miles of wonderful descents, short climbs and spectacular views. Especially overseeing the valley of Estes Park was breathtaking. This was real road-biking! Especially those that have never been in the mountains, not to mention on a bike, were amazed by the beauty of Colorado. Overall we climbed almost 2000 meters (>6500 feet) over 50 miles in around 4 hours and 30 minutes and most of us agreed that it has been the best day on this trip so far. Trail Ridge Road - we are coming!
- Henrik Bläute
FINALLY, The Rocky Mountains.
Longingly awaited by some, feared by others, suspiciously eyed by all during our ride into Boulder and during our day-off in this beautiful resort of liberalism in the heart of Colorado. Reinforced by two 4K alumni we left the First Baptist Church between 6.30 and 7.00, heading north. They suggested not to take Lee Hill Road, as originally planned, but to take the flatter and 5 miles longer detour around the steepest part of the mountain. All 4kers except the fearless Kristen, Amelia, Abhishek and Henrik opted for the longer route and enjoyed a rather gradual ascent. Meanwhile, the quartet was greeted by a 14% incline already after the first switchback but was compensated for their efforts with a marvelous descent. Only Abhishek got unlucky. He jammed his chain and was set back for several minutes but caught up quickly without breaking into sweat.
All riders met again on Lefthand Canyon Road on their way across the first real mountain pass of this trip. The views were fantastic, the roads predominantly in excellent condition and the weather ideal for a nice ride. The roads weren't too steep, but sometimes averaged 7-8% for a long stretch which can be tedious in high altitude. Several of us complained about the thin air, only Amelia couldn't stop babbling how nice it smells and how clean it is.
After around 18 miles we arrived at the tiny city of Ward. What was formerly a mining settlement seemed to have turned into a hiding place for the last hippies in America. But to our surprise, they were serving great espresso, which was a rare treat in the farmlands of the Midwest. From Ward, it was only another half mile to the mountain pass where we took a water stop and regrouped.
After the pass, we had another 32 miles of wonderful descents, short climbs and spectacular views. Especially overseeing the valley of Estes Park was breathtaking. This was real road-biking! Especially those that have never been in the mountains, not to mention on a bike, were amazed by the beauty of Colorado. Overall we climbed almost 2000 meters (>6500 feet) over 50 miles in around 4 hours and 30 minutes and most of us agreed that it has been the best day on this trip so far. Trail Ridge Road - we are coming!
- Henrik Bläute
Mail Drops for the Third Leg
Wed July 14:
c/o SUU Housing
351 W. University Blvd
Cedar City, UT 84720
Attn: Lee Chamberlain
Tues July 20:
Austin Baptist Church
P.O. Box 183
Austin, NV 89310
Sun July 25
Episcopal Church of St. Anne
1020 W. Lincoln Road
Stockton, CA 95207
c/o SUU Housing
351 W. University Blvd
Cedar City, UT 84720
Attn: Lee Chamberlain
Tues July 20:
Austin Baptist Church
P.O. Box 183
Austin, NV 89310
Sun July 25
Episcopal Church of St. Anne
1020 W. Lincoln Road
Stockton, CA 95207
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Day 27 and 28: Franklin, NE to Arapahoe, NE
Friday, June 25th; and Saturday, June 26th
When we pulled into Arapahoe, Nebraska, I think we all breathed a huge sigh of relief that we could finally get off of our bikes for more than 12 hours and give our quads and butts a little rest. We had done more than 350 miles in the past four days, battling gusts of headwind and crosswinds up to 40 mph, temperatures in the high 90’s, extreme humidity, and a lot of hills. We got to stay with host families that fed us delicious food, did our laundry, let us drive their cars around, and let us watch Disney movies on loop. As a team, we are definitely obsessed with Disney. On more than one occasion we’ve been spotted biking hands-free while doing dramatic hand gestures and belting out the lyrics to “Be a Man” from Mulan and “Hakuna Matata” from the Lion King. In fact, there’s a video clip of us dancing to and acting out “Hakuna Matata” at a water stop that I kind of hope doesn’t make it on to YouTube… haha. In the evening we attended Arapahoe’s Relay for Life where we walked around the track, ate monkey bread, scored free hand lotions and Swiss Miss chocolate milks, played Rock Band, and got to talk to some amazing cancer survivors and families. By about eleven pm we were all worn out and headed to bed, thankful to pass out on comfy beds and sleep in past 4:30!
- Pooja Singal
When we pulled into Arapahoe, Nebraska, I think we all breathed a huge sigh of relief that we could finally get off of our bikes for more than 12 hours and give our quads and butts a little rest. We had done more than 350 miles in the past four days, battling gusts of headwind and crosswinds up to 40 mph, temperatures in the high 90’s, extreme humidity, and a lot of hills. We got to stay with host families that fed us delicious food, did our laundry, let us drive their cars around, and let us watch Disney movies on loop. As a team, we are definitely obsessed with Disney. On more than one occasion we’ve been spotted biking hands-free while doing dramatic hand gestures and belting out the lyrics to “Be a Man” from Mulan and “Hakuna Matata” from the Lion King. In fact, there’s a video clip of us dancing to and acting out “Hakuna Matata” at a water stop that I kind of hope doesn’t make it on to YouTube… haha. In the evening we attended Arapahoe’s Relay for Life where we walked around the track, ate monkey bread, scored free hand lotions and Swiss Miss chocolate milks, played Rock Band, and got to talk to some amazing cancer survivors and families. By about eleven pm we were all worn out and headed to bed, thankful to pass out on comfy beds and sleep in past 4:30!
- Pooja Singal
Day 23: Sweet Springs, MO to Kansas City, MO
Monday, June 21
What a day! As if biking was not enough, after a scorching hot day complete with sets of mean rolling hills, we had a night filled of events. Upon arriving at the Grand avenue Church, we had an army of bike issues to tend to. We called almost every bike shop in Kansas City and surrounding areas before we came across The Wheel Cyclery, Heather the owner of the shop was absolutely fantastic in welcoming our team of riders to her store to get re-fitted and to offer advice that could help put an end to problems like knee pain and stiff shoulders. After dropping off about six riders at the bike shop I had to pick up some food that we as a team would later cook for the cancer patients at the Kansas City Hope Lodge. After arriving about 20 minutes late, we just couldn’t say good bye to Heather, the kitchen of the Hope Lodge transformed in to a 5 star restaurant. 4k-ers were chopping up greens and vegetables, simmering sauces and boiling pasta in a manner that would bring tears of joy to any head chef! Once the dinner bell rang, Patients, Family members and riders feasted together in epic fashion, trading stories of lost, and hope, as well as a couple well places jokes and talk of lighter hearted nature. We had all been in this atmosphere before back at the Baltimore Hope Lodge, but the moments we spent in Kansas City were brought us newfound connection to the cause we all are riding for. Seeing how people from all over the country are battling cancer, with an unprecedented determination and fighting spirit gave us new fuel to get us through those 105 mile long days that await us in the coming future. While only spending one night in Kansas City, we took a lifetimes worth of memories with us, that will continue to inspire us long after we arrive in San Francisco!
-Jose Medina
What a day! As if biking was not enough, after a scorching hot day complete with sets of mean rolling hills, we had a night filled of events. Upon arriving at the Grand avenue Church, we had an army of bike issues to tend to. We called almost every bike shop in Kansas City and surrounding areas before we came across The Wheel Cyclery, Heather the owner of the shop was absolutely fantastic in welcoming our team of riders to her store to get re-fitted and to offer advice that could help put an end to problems like knee pain and stiff shoulders. After dropping off about six riders at the bike shop I had to pick up some food that we as a team would later cook for the cancer patients at the Kansas City Hope Lodge. After arriving about 20 minutes late, we just couldn’t say good bye to Heather, the kitchen of the Hope Lodge transformed in to a 5 star restaurant. 4k-ers were chopping up greens and vegetables, simmering sauces and boiling pasta in a manner that would bring tears of joy to any head chef! Once the dinner bell rang, Patients, Family members and riders feasted together in epic fashion, trading stories of lost, and hope, as well as a couple well places jokes and talk of lighter hearted nature. We had all been in this atmosphere before back at the Baltimore Hope Lodge, but the moments we spent in Kansas City were brought us newfound connection to the cause we all are riding for. Seeing how people from all over the country are battling cancer, with an unprecedented determination and fighting spirit gave us new fuel to get us through those 105 mile long days that await us in the coming future. While only spending one night in Kansas City, we took a lifetimes worth of memories with us, that will continue to inspire us long after we arrive in San Francisco!
-Jose Medina
Day 21 and 22: Fayette, MO to Sweet Springs, MO
Saturday, June 19th; and Sunday, June 20th
Happy Father’s Day from Sweet Springs, MO
We arrived in Sweet Springs yesterday after spending several hours hiding from the storm. Lightning flashed in the distance just as we were about to leave the lunch stop. The storm, which reminded most of us of the movie Independence Day, was over our heads in a matter of minutes. The farmers who owned the driveway where we had lunch let us take shelter in their garage. They stuck around to talk to us and laughed when we took pictures with their gigantic tractor. We talked, napped, and relaxed until about 3:30, when the weather cleared up enough for us to leave.
Terence, Charlie, and I (Team Hello Kitty) were the last to roll into the Rodeway Inn, where we’re staying for two days. We had some intense rolling hills, especially in the last 15 miles, and we were pretty tired by the time we got in. The storm had taken out the power in most of Sweet Springs, so our original dinner plans, pizza from Casey’s, fell through. However, the United Methodist Church generously whipped up some pasta and salad for us.
We gave a presentation there this morning, followed by some hymns and a prayer, and even more food. The hospitality of everyone we’ve met thus far has been unbelievable—I had no idea how generous and welcoming people would be.
Today, we’ve been doing laundry, watching TV, and cleaning bikes. It’s our first day off in a not-so-big city, so we’ve actually had the chance to catch up on things that we haven’t had much time to do.
It’s the end of the first leg, which means we’re done with a third of the trip. It feels like we’ve been on the road forever, and yet it seems like we were dipping our tires into the Inner Harbor just yesterday. We have our second pow-wow tonight, and we’re leaving for Kansas City, MO early in the morning tomorrow. I’m looking forward to what the second and third legs of the trip have in store for us.
-Erica Lai
Happy Father’s Day from Sweet Springs, MO
We arrived in Sweet Springs yesterday after spending several hours hiding from the storm. Lightning flashed in the distance just as we were about to leave the lunch stop. The storm, which reminded most of us of the movie Independence Day, was over our heads in a matter of minutes. The farmers who owned the driveway where we had lunch let us take shelter in their garage. They stuck around to talk to us and laughed when we took pictures with their gigantic tractor. We talked, napped, and relaxed until about 3:30, when the weather cleared up enough for us to leave.
Terence, Charlie, and I (Team Hello Kitty) were the last to roll into the Rodeway Inn, where we’re staying for two days. We had some intense rolling hills, especially in the last 15 miles, and we were pretty tired by the time we got in. The storm had taken out the power in most of Sweet Springs, so our original dinner plans, pizza from Casey’s, fell through. However, the United Methodist Church generously whipped up some pasta and salad for us.
We gave a presentation there this morning, followed by some hymns and a prayer, and even more food. The hospitality of everyone we’ve met thus far has been unbelievable—I had no idea how generous and welcoming people would be.
Today, we’ve been doing laundry, watching TV, and cleaning bikes. It’s our first day off in a not-so-big city, so we’ve actually had the chance to catch up on things that we haven’t had much time to do.
It’s the end of the first leg, which means we’re done with a third of the trip. It feels like we’ve been on the road forever, and yet it seems like we were dipping our tires into the Inner Harbor just yesterday. We have our second pow-wow tonight, and we’re leaving for Kansas City, MO early in the morning tomorrow. I’m looking forward to what the second and third legs of the trip have in store for us.
-Erica Lai
Day 19: St. Louis, MO to Montgomery City, MO
Thursday, June 17th
We got ready to leave early morning, but we got stuck at the dorm because of the T-storms. I was first very much excited to take some time to actually watch the soccer games of the World Cup, not knowing that how hot it would get later that day. By the time we finally got ready to leave it was already ten. But after a few miles of biking, we realized that the road we were about to take was the interstate therefore, prohibited for us to bike on. Although we desperately tried to find new directions out of the city, we met the dead ends. It seemed that St. Louis never wanted us to leave. As much as I loved the city, I was dying to end the day and have some rest. After a few hours of lingering on the grass while support vans went out to find new directions, we ate lunch around four. It had been decided that the vans would shuttle us to the beginning of the road we can bike on, and we will bike to the camping site. I was one of the first groups to get shuttled. We biked about the thirty miles from the point we got dropped off to the camping site.
All of us were already too exhausted from facing really hot sun whole day, although it was almost four; the sun was still way up and torturing us with high humidity. Some of us were had injuries especially around their knees, which made really hard for them to bike. Each stroke gave them lots of pain. But I remembered what Jose said, biking is similar to the path of fighting cancer. There are some unforeseen obstacles and pain involved in the process, but we need to endure and fight strong. Not really knowing the pain that people are in, it is hard to imagine what they are going through and how I can help them. As a group, I wanted to help them with whatever way I can but I doubted myself if I have done my job well enough.
Today was a rough day with T-storms followed by excruciatingly hot weather, which was only worsened by no roads to bike on. Some people came in very late at night, unlike what I imagined what camping would be like in childhood days, there were lots of bugs and heat waiting for us. However, I knew this is a part of getting stronger and being in part of 4K.
-Chorong Song
We got ready to leave early morning, but we got stuck at the dorm because of the T-storms. I was first very much excited to take some time to actually watch the soccer games of the World Cup, not knowing that how hot it would get later that day. By the time we finally got ready to leave it was already ten. But after a few miles of biking, we realized that the road we were about to take was the interstate therefore, prohibited for us to bike on. Although we desperately tried to find new directions out of the city, we met the dead ends. It seemed that St. Louis never wanted us to leave. As much as I loved the city, I was dying to end the day and have some rest. After a few hours of lingering on the grass while support vans went out to find new directions, we ate lunch around four. It had been decided that the vans would shuttle us to the beginning of the road we can bike on, and we will bike to the camping site. I was one of the first groups to get shuttled. We biked about the thirty miles from the point we got dropped off to the camping site.
All of us were already too exhausted from facing really hot sun whole day, although it was almost four; the sun was still way up and torturing us with high humidity. Some of us were had injuries especially around their knees, which made really hard for them to bike. Each stroke gave them lots of pain. But I remembered what Jose said, biking is similar to the path of fighting cancer. There are some unforeseen obstacles and pain involved in the process, but we need to endure and fight strong. Not really knowing the pain that people are in, it is hard to imagine what they are going through and how I can help them. As a group, I wanted to help them with whatever way I can but I doubted myself if I have done my job well enough.
Today was a rough day with T-storms followed by excruciatingly hot weather, which was only worsened by no roads to bike on. Some people came in very late at night, unlike what I imagined what camping would be like in childhood days, there were lots of bugs and heat waiting for us. However, I knew this is a part of getting stronger and being in part of 4K.
-Chorong Song
Friday, June 25, 2010
Day 24: Kansas City, MO to Hiawatha, KS
Tuesday, June 22
4K: Mythbusters
Myth: Kansas is as flat as a pancake
Truth: Kansas more closely resembles a waffle
The 4K entered Kansas today while crossing the Missouri River. We had
a long, hot day (94 miles in the end) but crossing into a new state is
always a good day. Especially when you are leaving hilly Missouri!
Unfortunately for the team, we expected Kansas to be flat - so the
rumor goes - and were greeted instead by long, rolling and significant
hills. Now we've only dabbled in 40 miles of Kansas roads so far, but
the team has conclusively decided that Kansas is in fact, not a flat
state. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because they were a
welcome relief after the hills of Missouri.
We started the day on a sad note- two of our riders have gone home.
Several people on the team dedicated their trip to these riders and we
started off. I rode today in Team Cripple, as we named ourselves due
to the number of collective injuries our group had. And indeed, we had
a slow start when I had not 1, not 2, but 3 flat-tubes at mile 1.
That's how many tubes it takes to figure out that my tire had a large
gash in it. However, it did provide Krystina with the opportunity to
time Henrik on how fast he can change a bike tire. Rumor had it that
Lance Armstrong can do it in 2 minutes and Henrik came in with 1
minute and 47 seconds. This is the standing record on the team this
summer - several teammates have vowed to challenge Henrik at the next
opportune flat tire.
We entered Kansas in a town whose name has yet to be determined;
however, it might as well be called Amelia Earhart because this is her
birthplace and they've named everything else after her: the airport,
the highway, the bridge, the earthworks shops, etc. It was about this
time that Abhishek, Charlie and Chorong took a wrong turn and went
about 5 miles in the wrong direction - resulting in a 10-mile detour
on an already long day: ever 4Kers' worst nightmare. They have Kevin,
our not-so-trusty van driver, to blame because he also made the same
wrong turn :)
The day ended as all days should- having a Sonic Blast. Several groups
decided to stop at Sonic before they reached the church to cool down
after a long day and this could be the beginning of a new ritual of
mine, because it was a highlight of my day. That and the strong
tailwind that brought us flying into Hiawatha at 28 miles per hour. On
the 4K, there are many discussions about weather and the pros and cons
of all kinds of temporal varieties that have greeted us, but we
unanimously agree that nothing is better on the 4K than tailwind-
helps you get over the hills that do, in fact, exist in Kansas.
Kristen Schubert
4K: Mythbusters
Myth: Kansas is as flat as a pancake
Truth: Kansas more closely resembles a waffle
The 4K entered Kansas today while crossing the Missouri River. We had
a long, hot day (94 miles in the end) but crossing into a new state is
always a good day. Especially when you are leaving hilly Missouri!
Unfortunately for the team, we expected Kansas to be flat - so the
rumor goes - and were greeted instead by long, rolling and significant
hills. Now we've only dabbled in 40 miles of Kansas roads so far, but
the team has conclusively decided that Kansas is in fact, not a flat
state. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because they were a
welcome relief after the hills of Missouri.
We started the day on a sad note- two of our riders have gone home.
Several people on the team dedicated their trip to these riders and we
started off. I rode today in Team Cripple, as we named ourselves due
to the number of collective injuries our group had. And indeed, we had
a slow start when I had not 1, not 2, but 3 flat-tubes at mile 1.
That's how many tubes it takes to figure out that my tire had a large
gash in it. However, it did provide Krystina with the opportunity to
time Henrik on how fast he can change a bike tire. Rumor had it that
Lance Armstrong can do it in 2 minutes and Henrik came in with 1
minute and 47 seconds. This is the standing record on the team this
summer - several teammates have vowed to challenge Henrik at the next
opportune flat tire.
We entered Kansas in a town whose name has yet to be determined;
however, it might as well be called Amelia Earhart because this is her
birthplace and they've named everything else after her: the airport,
the highway, the bridge, the earthworks shops, etc. It was about this
time that Abhishek, Charlie and Chorong took a wrong turn and went
about 5 miles in the wrong direction - resulting in a 10-mile detour
on an already long day: ever 4Kers' worst nightmare. They have Kevin,
our not-so-trusty van driver, to blame because he also made the same
wrong turn :)
The day ended as all days should- having a Sonic Blast. Several groups
decided to stop at Sonic before they reached the church to cool down
after a long day and this could be the beginning of a new ritual of
mine, because it was a highlight of my day. That and the strong
tailwind that brought us flying into Hiawatha at 28 miles per hour. On
the 4K, there are many discussions about weather and the pros and cons
of all kinds of temporal varieties that have greeted us, but we
unanimously agree that nothing is better on the 4K than tailwind-
helps you get over the hills that do, in fact, exist in Kansas.
Kristen Schubert
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Mail Drops for the 2nd Leg
Day 27 (June 25th): Arapahoe, NE
PO Box 618
c/o First United Methodist Church
Arapahoe, NE 68922
Day 30 (June 28th): Yuma, CO
First Presbyterian Church
110 West 4th Avenue
Yuma CO 80759
Day 38 (July 6th): Paonia, CO
United Methodist Church of Paonia
307 Onarga Avenue
Paonia, CO 81428
PO Box 618
c/o First United Methodist Church
Arapahoe, NE 68922
Day 30 (June 28th): Yuma, CO
First Presbyterian Church
110 West 4th Avenue
Yuma CO 80759
Day 38 (July 6th): Paonia, CO
United Methodist Church of Paonia
307 Onarga Avenue
Paonia, CO 81428
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day 20: Montgomery City, MO to Fayette, MO
Friday, June 18th
After shuttling into St. Louis because of lightning and thunder, followed by a day off, and yesterday’s morning storms, high heat and humidity, and complications with directions, I know Dan and I were happy to be back on the bike today. We rose with the sun at the Lazy Days Campground in Montgomery City, where riders foraged in the snack bins for breakfast. Meal highlights include: Jose’s peanut butter and fruit loop sandwich, and Abhishek’s jelly, spaghetti and tomato sauce sandwich. Kevin led the team cheer (conducted in a whisper so as not to wake up any of the other campers in their luxury mobile homes) in Hebrew – not our most successful effort yet; perhaps we should stick to English?
Team “Count Me Out”, made up of Terence, Andrew, Sarah, Chris, Erica and myself set out for what was meant to be a 76 mile day. The day’s van drivers, Gayatri and Natalie (who had a second-round job interview, amidst leading the first leg – she does it all!) quickly realized that our directions would have to be revised because of some bridge closings. About 10 miles in, the team met up at Crane’s Country Store to seek shade and change some of the day’s route. Since a group of 28 attractive young people in tight-fitting spandex and chamois tends to attract attention, it wasn’t long before the owners of the store learned of the 4K’s mission, shared stories of their own cancer experiences, and offered to make a lunch donation. They supplied us with made-to-order sandwiches for each rider, some fruit, and two whole cases of Gatorade. Not knowing where will get food from when we wake up in the morning has proven to be a humbling experience, but it is this kind of generosity, from complete strangers, which makes the 4K possible.
While Kristine worked on re-routing the day’s directions over the phone with Joe (THANKS, JOE!!), our fearless first leg leader Natalie managed to “Ice” me (see http://www.newser.com/story/89862/oddest-new-drinking-game-icing.html for an explanation of the game that is taking the country, and the 4K, by storm). As you can imagine, the warm Smirnoff Ice did wonders for the day’s dehydration. After committing the new directions to memory, Team Count Me Out set off fifteen miles to the next water stop. We passed the time with talk of life after the 4K, and how it’s been great to live much more simply than we’d become accustomed to back home. It’s proven eye-opening to realize it’s possible (and enjoyable) to live with nothing but a sleeping bag, a duffel bag and a bike for 20 (and 43 to come) days.
Made water and lunch stops in the driveways of some very unsuspecting Missouri-ans. Our lunch stop host even took some snapshots of us to share with his grandson, who “would have loved to see us.” Made sure to eat and drink lots of water and Gatorade to keep from “bonking.” Our new route took us along a gravel road for a bit, where Pooja took one for the team to teach us all a lesson – walk your bike across gravel. Because she’s a champ, Pooja poured some water over the gash on her arm from a rock and hopped right back on her bike. Soon after, the invincible Henrik got his first flat of the trip – he is now one of us.
Natalie re-joined the team after she rocked her interview to let us know that the support vans would be shuttling us across a 3 mile-long gravel road that we’d be getting to soon. So Team Count Me Out stopped with the other groups to wait our turn to get driven across the gravel. To pass the time, Charlie took some glamour shots of Terence and Abhishek (they’ll be appearing in next summer’s Abercrombie & Fitch ad campaign), and Meaghan modeled what a nerd on the 4K would look like (imagine jersey tucked in, chamois pulled up high).
Not long after, Wayne from the church hosting us in Fayette arrived to save the day in his bright red pick-up truck. He graciously helped to shuttle the remaining groups across the gravel roads so that Meaghan and I might be able to get the Dairy Queen ice cream we had been dreaming of a bit sooner. A few of us may or may not have contemplated having Wayne drive us the few remaining miles into town, but when we saw Pooja pedaling away, that was all the inspiration we needed to bike ourselves to our host.
Showers at the local high school may have lacked the swimsuit spinners we have all grown to appreciate (YMCAs where we shower often have mini salad spinner contraptions that help to dry our wet clothes), but nothing else was missing from our visit to Fayette. There was enough food to feed an army, and it was so nice to have so many community members volunteer to introduce themselves after our team members did so.
Pooja was able to have her arm looked at by Fayette’s very own veterinarian who suggested stitches were in order, and his wife swiftly drove her to the hospital to get some staples to patch up her wound. Like a champ, Pooja keeps proclaiming that her arm isn’t bothering her at all – how is that possible??
Our hosts, like all the others we’ve met so far, were so gracious, and without knowing it, give us all a reason to get up in the morning when it feels like the last thing we want to do is get back on a bike. If we can inspire them half as much as they inspire us, then we’ve done our job.
-Dana Rampulla
After shuttling into St. Louis because of lightning and thunder, followed by a day off, and yesterday’s morning storms, high heat and humidity, and complications with directions, I know Dan and I were happy to be back on the bike today. We rose with the sun at the Lazy Days Campground in Montgomery City, where riders foraged in the snack bins for breakfast. Meal highlights include: Jose’s peanut butter and fruit loop sandwich, and Abhishek’s jelly, spaghetti and tomato sauce sandwich. Kevin led the team cheer (conducted in a whisper so as not to wake up any of the other campers in their luxury mobile homes) in Hebrew – not our most successful effort yet; perhaps we should stick to English?
Team “Count Me Out”, made up of Terence, Andrew, Sarah, Chris, Erica and myself set out for what was meant to be a 76 mile day. The day’s van drivers, Gayatri and Natalie (who had a second-round job interview, amidst leading the first leg – she does it all!) quickly realized that our directions would have to be revised because of some bridge closings. About 10 miles in, the team met up at Crane’s Country Store to seek shade and change some of the day’s route. Since a group of 28 attractive young people in tight-fitting spandex and chamois tends to attract attention, it wasn’t long before the owners of the store learned of the 4K’s mission, shared stories of their own cancer experiences, and offered to make a lunch donation. They supplied us with made-to-order sandwiches for each rider, some fruit, and two whole cases of Gatorade. Not knowing where will get food from when we wake up in the morning has proven to be a humbling experience, but it is this kind of generosity, from complete strangers, which makes the 4K possible.
While Kristine worked on re-routing the day’s directions over the phone with Joe (THANKS, JOE!!), our fearless first leg leader Natalie managed to “Ice” me (see http://www.newser.com/story/89862/oddest-new-drinking-game-icing.html for an explanation of the game that is taking the country, and the 4K, by storm). As you can imagine, the warm Smirnoff Ice did wonders for the day’s dehydration. After committing the new directions to memory, Team Count Me Out set off fifteen miles to the next water stop. We passed the time with talk of life after the 4K, and how it’s been great to live much more simply than we’d become accustomed to back home. It’s proven eye-opening to realize it’s possible (and enjoyable) to live with nothing but a sleeping bag, a duffel bag and a bike for 20 (and 43 to come) days.
Made water and lunch stops in the driveways of some very unsuspecting Missouri-ans. Our lunch stop host even took some snapshots of us to share with his grandson, who “would have loved to see us.” Made sure to eat and drink lots of water and Gatorade to keep from “bonking.” Our new route took us along a gravel road for a bit, where Pooja took one for the team to teach us all a lesson – walk your bike across gravel. Because she’s a champ, Pooja poured some water over the gash on her arm from a rock and hopped right back on her bike. Soon after, the invincible Henrik got his first flat of the trip – he is now one of us.
Natalie re-joined the team after she rocked her interview to let us know that the support vans would be shuttling us across a 3 mile-long gravel road that we’d be getting to soon. So Team Count Me Out stopped with the other groups to wait our turn to get driven across the gravel. To pass the time, Charlie took some glamour shots of Terence and Abhishek (they’ll be appearing in next summer’s Abercrombie & Fitch ad campaign), and Meaghan modeled what a nerd on the 4K would look like (imagine jersey tucked in, chamois pulled up high).
Not long after, Wayne from the church hosting us in Fayette arrived to save the day in his bright red pick-up truck. He graciously helped to shuttle the remaining groups across the gravel roads so that Meaghan and I might be able to get the Dairy Queen ice cream we had been dreaming of a bit sooner. A few of us may or may not have contemplated having Wayne drive us the few remaining miles into town, but when we saw Pooja pedaling away, that was all the inspiration we needed to bike ourselves to our host.
Showers at the local high school may have lacked the swimsuit spinners we have all grown to appreciate (YMCAs where we shower often have mini salad spinner contraptions that help to dry our wet clothes), but nothing else was missing from our visit to Fayette. There was enough food to feed an army, and it was so nice to have so many community members volunteer to introduce themselves after our team members did so.
Pooja was able to have her arm looked at by Fayette’s very own veterinarian who suggested stitches were in order, and his wife swiftly drove her to the hospital to get some staples to patch up her wound. Like a champ, Pooja keeps proclaiming that her arm isn’t bothering her at all – how is that possible??
Our hosts, like all the others we’ve met so far, were so gracious, and without knowing it, give us all a reason to get up in the morning when it feels like the last thing we want to do is get back on a bike. If we can inspire them half as much as they inspire us, then we’ve done our job.
-Dana Rampulla
Day 17: Jacksonville, IL to St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, June 15th
After riding 120 miles into Jacksonville, IL and 91 miles the day before, our team wanted nothing more than to have an easy ride into St. Louis. Unfortunately, the cycling gods would not let us have our way. To start, our planned route was 89 miles—giving us over 300 miles in 3 days of riding.
Our night in Jacksonville was exceptional. After the grueling ride, we were greeted by the extremely kind church members. We were able to do laundry and were treated to a scrumptious dinner of lasagna and tortellini. The following morning, we were greeted with all different types of egg casserole and cereal. Needless to say, with the generous hospitality, the team started the day upbeat. After our morning circle and ride dedications, Abhishek did an amusing rendition of our team cheer and we set off on our way.
Our journey into St. Louis was eventful to say the least. I rode in a group with Adam, Jose, Terence, Kieran, Chorong—all terrific riders and it was a challenge to keep up. Within the first couple miles leaving Jacksonville, we missed a turn onto Main Street. This type of misfortune foreshadowed the rest of our day. At about mile 20, the rain began to come down. Our first water stop was at mile 25 where the van drivers, Pooja and Sara were able to find a beautiful church where we were able to get shelter from the rain and use the bathroom facilities. Within 30 minutes, the rain cleared and we were back on the road. Even though the roads were wet, the sun had started to beam down on us. At the second water stop at mile 50, we were able to stop at an ice cream parlor. The employees had heard we would be coming through on the radio. Even though we didn’t get any perks from our radio stardom, the ice cream was delicious. At mile 60, rain started to come down extremely hard and our group was forced to pull over at a Jack in the Box restaurant. We tried to wait out the storm, but it became apparent that the weather was too poor to bike through. The van drivers had to drive all the way to St. Louis and then come back to shuttle all the riders from various locations in Alton, IL. The groups at the Jack in the Box passed time through discussing gender roles in society until the vans were able to make it back from the city. Finally, three riding groups able to be shuttled. All the bikes were packed into the minivan and the 15-passenger van was stuffed with riders.
The three groups were immediately taken to the St. Louis Hope Lodge, were we shared stories with patients undergoing treatment in the city. Each patient was inspirational added even more meaning to our rides.
Meanwhile, one of our valiant directors, Jose, had to drive a van back to pick up the last group stranded in Alton. By the end of the day, everyone was excited to get some rest, but the work was not yet done. A group of 4 injured riders still needed to be picked up from Jacksonville. That meant another 90 mile drive back and forth. By 2 am, everyone was safely in St. Louis and ready for a well deserved day-off and an opportunity to explore the city the following day.
-Andrew Lai
After riding 120 miles into Jacksonville, IL and 91 miles the day before, our team wanted nothing more than to have an easy ride into St. Louis. Unfortunately, the cycling gods would not let us have our way. To start, our planned route was 89 miles—giving us over 300 miles in 3 days of riding.
Our night in Jacksonville was exceptional. After the grueling ride, we were greeted by the extremely kind church members. We were able to do laundry and were treated to a scrumptious dinner of lasagna and tortellini. The following morning, we were greeted with all different types of egg casserole and cereal. Needless to say, with the generous hospitality, the team started the day upbeat. After our morning circle and ride dedications, Abhishek did an amusing rendition of our team cheer and we set off on our way.
Our journey into St. Louis was eventful to say the least. I rode in a group with Adam, Jose, Terence, Kieran, Chorong—all terrific riders and it was a challenge to keep up. Within the first couple miles leaving Jacksonville, we missed a turn onto Main Street. This type of misfortune foreshadowed the rest of our day. At about mile 20, the rain began to come down. Our first water stop was at mile 25 where the van drivers, Pooja and Sara were able to find a beautiful church where we were able to get shelter from the rain and use the bathroom facilities. Within 30 minutes, the rain cleared and we were back on the road. Even though the roads were wet, the sun had started to beam down on us. At the second water stop at mile 50, we were able to stop at an ice cream parlor. The employees had heard we would be coming through on the radio. Even though we didn’t get any perks from our radio stardom, the ice cream was delicious. At mile 60, rain started to come down extremely hard and our group was forced to pull over at a Jack in the Box restaurant. We tried to wait out the storm, but it became apparent that the weather was too poor to bike through. The van drivers had to drive all the way to St. Louis and then come back to shuttle all the riders from various locations in Alton, IL. The groups at the Jack in the Box passed time through discussing gender roles in society until the vans were able to make it back from the city. Finally, three riding groups able to be shuttled. All the bikes were packed into the minivan and the 15-passenger van was stuffed with riders.
The three groups were immediately taken to the St. Louis Hope Lodge, were we shared stories with patients undergoing treatment in the city. Each patient was inspirational added even more meaning to our rides.
Meanwhile, one of our valiant directors, Jose, had to drive a van back to pick up the last group stranded in Alton. By the end of the day, everyone was excited to get some rest, but the work was not yet done. A group of 4 injured riders still needed to be picked up from Jacksonville. That meant another 90 mile drive back and forth. By 2 am, everyone was safely in St. Louis and ready for a well deserved day-off and an opportunity to explore the city the following day.
-Andrew Lai
Day 15: Kankakee. IL to Normal, IL
Sunday, June 13
The day started with the usual early arousal, but with the added experience of our cameo at the Kankakee Relay for Life. We had attended the event the night before, and with the number of people in attendance at the time it was no wonder that so many had stayed the entire night and joined us in our morning circle – our biggest yet.
After the rain the day before we were wary of the cloudy sky as we set off, and our fears were eventually founded as an enormous thunderstorm swept over us near mile 70 of our 90 mile day. Luckily a nearby resident allowed us to take shelter in her barn where we watched the high winds bend saplings and listened to the heavy rain pelt the tin roof over our heads. But our time huddled out of the storm allowed us to bond even further, and we were given the blessing of hearing the story of the time Natalie jumped out of her second story window.
Our day did not end with the thunderstorm, however. After waiting for about half an hour, we hit the roads once again with clear skies and soon came upon the historic route 66, upon which we rode for the last 20 miles of the day. And as with all long days, we had plenty of time to improve ourselves as cyclists, as many of us practiced riding hands free – I’m thinking synchronized bike dances are soon to follow…
-Adam Ammar
The day started with the usual early arousal, but with the added experience of our cameo at the Kankakee Relay for Life. We had attended the event the night before, and with the number of people in attendance at the time it was no wonder that so many had stayed the entire night and joined us in our morning circle – our biggest yet.
After the rain the day before we were wary of the cloudy sky as we set off, and our fears were eventually founded as an enormous thunderstorm swept over us near mile 70 of our 90 mile day. Luckily a nearby resident allowed us to take shelter in her barn where we watched the high winds bend saplings and listened to the heavy rain pelt the tin roof over our heads. But our time huddled out of the storm allowed us to bond even further, and we were given the blessing of hearing the story of the time Natalie jumped out of her second story window.
Our day did not end with the thunderstorm, however. After waiting for about half an hour, we hit the roads once again with clear skies and soon came upon the historic route 66, upon which we rode for the last 20 miles of the day. And as with all long days, we had plenty of time to improve ourselves as cyclists, as many of us practiced riding hands free – I’m thinking synchronized bike dances are soon to follow…
-Adam Ammar
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Day 14: Chicago, IL to Kankakee, IL
Saturday, June 12
We had a day off in Chicago yesterday when I got to spend time with my best buddy Raghav from junior school. I couldn’t attend his graduation ceremony that was scheduled for today as we had to wake up at 6am in the morning to bike 60 miles to get to Kankakee, IL. So I dedicate this journal to Raghav. My whole body was aching badly and I didn’t feel like biking this morning at all. I drew courage and encouragement from the young guns in the group who seemed full of energy and ready to roll…Once again I end up riding with Henrik, Kristen and Chorong. Charlie was the new rider in our group today. The day started off pretty slow and soon we were around mile 15 when Charlie needed called out for a ‘pee’ break at Dunkin Donuts. Kristen thanked Charlie and Chorong and I followed them while Henrik waited outside. I asked Kristen if she wanted to have a free donut and she told me she had been craving for one for a long time. So I went up to the manger and told him what we were about and he generously donated us a dozen assorted donuts. That was one satisfying ‘pee break’ . Another group of rides went past us even though we offered them donuts. Kieran at the end of the group yelled out in a baby accent, `` I wannnntttt a donuuuuttt”, that was pretty funny!
It started raining at the water stop and the jerk I am, I always forget to keep my rain jacket in the weather bin. I had to scamper through the van to get hold of my bag and felt great to finally get hold of my jacket. Thanks to Chris who made it easier for me to pack those bags in the van again. A few miles after the water stop we were hit by a strong thunderstorm and winds blowing at 30-35 mph that literally shook our bi-cycles. We decided to pull over into the first parking lot and waited for the weather to clear out a little. Well one thing we all learned was that none of us except Henrik had a real waterproof jacket even though they all claimed to be waterproof. I was glad that I had gotten mine from REI so now I could return it back for a real waterproof jacket. Henrik seemed pretty amazed at learning REI’s return policy. I guess the Germans are way behind Americans when it comes to customer service. Hopefully they can do better in the soccer world cup.
We were back on the road after a short break and soon hit the lunch stop. Chris had gotten us some breakfast food and we were waiting for Amelia like hungry wolves to get there with the lunch donations. Apparently she got lost and riders were getting impatient for food. I was in Amelia’s shoes just 2 days ago and knew exactly how it feels to be that van driver who is unable to get the food to the riders in time. It is way more mentally exhausting that riding a bike and I had rather be on the bike than have the responsibility of feeding 28 riders. But she arrived with a big bang! And by that I mean she was loaded with goodies…an edible basket of fruits, rotisserie chicken, avocado, and the usual groceries. The food was great!!! Good job Amelia!
Back on the road and now it was time for the Charlie magic. Rumor runs that whatever group Charlie is riding in has to have at least one fall. Today Kristen fumbled with her bike and though managed to unclip and shoes and press the breaks, she lost balance and took a minor bruise on the leg. Henrik was riding right behind Kristen and also ended up taking his first ever fall on a road bike. The immortal Henrik Blaute was now one of us. If that wasn’t enough, Henrik also got a flat soon after that. Chorong, Charlie and I waited under a shade and reapplied sunscreen as we waited for Kristen and Henrik to catch up.
We got into Kankakee. Another amazing dinner awaited us at the First Presbyterian Church. I have been amazed at the generosity of our hosts. The love and affection that they show us has been eye opening. We made a brief presentation about the 4K and cancer awareness and cancer prevention and ended it with a round of applause for the cancer survivors in the community. Then we headed for Relay for Life at a nearby school. We did a few laps and were back to get some rest. I filled up the water jugs with Adali for the next day. Need to wake up early tomorrow morning (5am) as our group would be doing the closing ceremony for the Relay for Life before we head out to Bloomington for a 90+ mile day.
-Abhishek Gupta.
We had a day off in Chicago yesterday when I got to spend time with my best buddy Raghav from junior school. I couldn’t attend his graduation ceremony that was scheduled for today as we had to wake up at 6am in the morning to bike 60 miles to get to Kankakee, IL. So I dedicate this journal to Raghav. My whole body was aching badly and I didn’t feel like biking this morning at all. I drew courage and encouragement from the young guns in the group who seemed full of energy and ready to roll…Once again I end up riding with Henrik, Kristen and Chorong. Charlie was the new rider in our group today. The day started off pretty slow and soon we were around mile 15 when Charlie needed called out for a ‘pee’ break at Dunkin Donuts. Kristen thanked Charlie and Chorong and I followed them while Henrik waited outside. I asked Kristen if she wanted to have a free donut and she told me she had been craving for one for a long time. So I went up to the manger and told him what we were about and he generously donated us a dozen assorted donuts. That was one satisfying ‘pee break’ . Another group of rides went past us even though we offered them donuts. Kieran at the end of the group yelled out in a baby accent, `` I wannnntttt a donuuuuttt”, that was pretty funny!
It started raining at the water stop and the jerk I am, I always forget to keep my rain jacket in the weather bin. I had to scamper through the van to get hold of my bag and felt great to finally get hold of my jacket. Thanks to Chris who made it easier for me to pack those bags in the van again. A few miles after the water stop we were hit by a strong thunderstorm and winds blowing at 30-35 mph that literally shook our bi-cycles. We decided to pull over into the first parking lot and waited for the weather to clear out a little. Well one thing we all learned was that none of us except Henrik had a real waterproof jacket even though they all claimed to be waterproof. I was glad that I had gotten mine from REI so now I could return it back for a real waterproof jacket. Henrik seemed pretty amazed at learning REI’s return policy. I guess the Germans are way behind Americans when it comes to customer service. Hopefully they can do better in the soccer world cup.
We were back on the road after a short break and soon hit the lunch stop. Chris had gotten us some breakfast food and we were waiting for Amelia like hungry wolves to get there with the lunch donations. Apparently she got lost and riders were getting impatient for food. I was in Amelia’s shoes just 2 days ago and knew exactly how it feels to be that van driver who is unable to get the food to the riders in time. It is way more mentally exhausting that riding a bike and I had rather be on the bike than have the responsibility of feeding 28 riders. But she arrived with a big bang! And by that I mean she was loaded with goodies…an edible basket of fruits, rotisserie chicken, avocado, and the usual groceries. The food was great!!! Good job Amelia!
Back on the road and now it was time for the Charlie magic. Rumor runs that whatever group Charlie is riding in has to have at least one fall. Today Kristen fumbled with her bike and though managed to unclip and shoes and press the breaks, she lost balance and took a minor bruise on the leg. Henrik was riding right behind Kristen and also ended up taking his first ever fall on a road bike. The immortal Henrik Blaute was now one of us. If that wasn’t enough, Henrik also got a flat soon after that. Chorong, Charlie and I waited under a shade and reapplied sunscreen as we waited for Kristen and Henrik to catch up.
We got into Kankakee. Another amazing dinner awaited us at the First Presbyterian Church. I have been amazed at the generosity of our hosts. The love and affection that they show us has been eye opening. We made a brief presentation about the 4K and cancer awareness and cancer prevention and ended it with a round of applause for the cancer survivors in the community. Then we headed for Relay for Life at a nearby school. We did a few laps and were back to get some rest. I filled up the water jugs with Adali for the next day. Need to wake up early tomorrow morning (5am) as our group would be doing the closing ceremony for the Relay for Life before we head out to Bloomington for a 90+ mile day.
-Abhishek Gupta.
Day 12 and 13: Michigan City, IN to Chicago, IL
Day 12: Sweet Home Chicago!
Thursday, June 10th and Friday, June 11th
After another delicious breakfast cooked by the wonderful Jean at the Hogwarts of Michigan City, we embarked on a leisurely 60 mile ride to Chicago to stuff ourselves with deep dish pizza. I can’t believe how quickly we’ve made it across Indiana already (not to mention Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania).
The first leg of the morning took us through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and an unexpected flat tire turned into a photo shoot as a Park Ranger spotted my group and started snapping pictures to be used in the park brochure. After handing us some waivers to sign he followed us for a couple miles and snapped candid photos and action shots. Just look for us on the cover of the new park map next season ;)
I was pleasantly surprised by the courtesy and enthusiasm shown by the drivers of western Indiana. It was nice to hear encouraging cheers and toots, as opposed to the jeers and ‘Get a car!’ screams we grew accustomed to in Pennsylvania.
The second leg of the day may have not been the most scenic, but was adventurous nonetheless. Unfortunately, holding our breath wasn’t really an option so we sucked it up (literally) and braved the smells that the city had to offer. And of course, no trip through Gary is complete without some sort of drug deal, and despite our best attempts to evade her, one of the villagers was able to force her experimental nutritional supplements upon two of our riders (but don’t worry—nothing was ingested).
East Chicago was a tease, as it turned out to be nothing more than just a euphemism for West Gary. We were a little disappointed by the absence of a sign welcoming us into Illinois (pictures with state signs have become a staple on this trip!), but within a few miles of entering the REAL Chicago city limits we made our way onto the Lakefront bike path for perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the entire trip thus far. The sky was clear and the lake sparkled, and pretty soon we were admiring the magnificent city skyline.
It was great to get another glimpse of my old apartment, and the bike to UIC was a trip down memory lane for me. We were all blown away by the amenities offered by the dorms, and apart from one amusing mix-up with room assignments everything went swimmingly. And if the prospect of deep dish pizza wasn’t enough, we were all giddy with the excitement of our second day off.
But the very best part of the day for me was the visit from my dad and brother, plus one surprise stowaway, who drove straight from DC to meet me for the night.
In conclusion, Day 12 was a GREAT day.
-Sara Achrati
Thursday, June 10th and Friday, June 11th
After another delicious breakfast cooked by the wonderful Jean at the Hogwarts of Michigan City, we embarked on a leisurely 60 mile ride to Chicago to stuff ourselves with deep dish pizza. I can’t believe how quickly we’ve made it across Indiana already (not to mention Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania).
The first leg of the morning took us through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and an unexpected flat tire turned into a photo shoot as a Park Ranger spotted my group and started snapping pictures to be used in the park brochure. After handing us some waivers to sign he followed us for a couple miles and snapped candid photos and action shots. Just look for us on the cover of the new park map next season ;)
I was pleasantly surprised by the courtesy and enthusiasm shown by the drivers of western Indiana. It was nice to hear encouraging cheers and toots, as opposed to the jeers and ‘Get a car!’ screams we grew accustomed to in Pennsylvania.
The second leg of the day may have not been the most scenic, but was adventurous nonetheless. Unfortunately, holding our breath wasn’t really an option so we sucked it up (literally) and braved the smells that the city had to offer. And of course, no trip through Gary is complete without some sort of drug deal, and despite our best attempts to evade her, one of the villagers was able to force her experimental nutritional supplements upon two of our riders (but don’t worry—nothing was ingested).
East Chicago was a tease, as it turned out to be nothing more than just a euphemism for West Gary. We were a little disappointed by the absence of a sign welcoming us into Illinois (pictures with state signs have become a staple on this trip!), but within a few miles of entering the REAL Chicago city limits we made our way onto the Lakefront bike path for perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the entire trip thus far. The sky was clear and the lake sparkled, and pretty soon we were admiring the magnificent city skyline.
It was great to get another glimpse of my old apartment, and the bike to UIC was a trip down memory lane for me. We were all blown away by the amenities offered by the dorms, and apart from one amusing mix-up with room assignments everything went swimmingly. And if the prospect of deep dish pizza wasn’t enough, we were all giddy with the excitement of our second day off.
But the very best part of the day for me was the visit from my dad and brother, plus one surprise stowaway, who drove straight from DC to meet me for the night.
In conclusion, Day 12 was a GREAT day.
-Sara Achrati
Friday, June 11, 2010
Day 11: Elkhart, IN to Michigan City, IN
Wednesday, June 9th
I believe I’m almost halfway into my stint as first leg leader, and it’s been going smoothly so far. The churches and YMCAs we stay at seem to know exactly what they’re doing, and ease any worries I might have. Being organized and preparing as best I could for this trip has absolutely paid off. They spoil us rotten, and try to fatten us up every night. The team has been wonderful, helping out in any way possible, even if it involves doing a job not assigned to them. I’ve been lucky!
Our hosts last night in Elkhart, Indiana treated us like kings and queens, providing us with a professional bike fitter (my knees no longer hurt!), a masseuse, and an amazing community dinner. We had the privilege of meeting some of the congregation, and learning new things about Elkhart. I had no idea that it had the highest unemployment rate in the country, which has sadly contributed to a decline in the church population. Apparently Obama visits the town relatively often to try to help solve their issue. Nevertheless, there was a great turnout and they spoiled us silly.
I was looking forward to our 50 mile day into Michigan City, IN serving as a respite from our 98 and 90 mile days. The day started off well, much sunnier than the 30 miles of rain at the end of the previous day. We were joined by some bike mechanics as we began our ride, and our scavenger hunt for the day. The hunt involved things like taking the best picture with a state sign, sporting the best war paint, eating a live fish (one kid chose to eat 2 baby frogs), and convincing a bar tender to supply us with non-alcoholic shots. We met a lot of nice people along the way, who wished us a good journey, but one crazy person who stood out, as well. As we stopped into a gas station, this man approached us and made a bet that he had ridden more miles in a day than we, claiming he rode 200 miles. He was overweight, and old, but maybe he was telling the truth. He also tried to convince me that cancer is absolutely curable, and that I should become Catholic, or else something involving sinning and blood would happen to me. Definitely a source of entertainment.
The water stop was really fun today, mainly because the whole team met up there. I had peanut butter and chocolate frosting smeared on my face several times, to complete the scavenger hunt task of smearing food condiment on a leg leader’s face. It went perfectly with my bright blue, pink, green, orange, and yellow eye shadow, and bright red lipstick and ‘4K’ written on my face, which I was wearing as war paint. The only boy on our group was a true man, and wore the makeup as well, which we applied in a local Family Dollar store. The cashiers loved it, and jumped in pictures with us.
As we continued, I began to feel sick around mile 30, which has never happened before. It might have had something to do with possibly having a fever the night before, not getting enough sleep, and biking so many miles. However, I didn’t stop, and the fastest kid on our team of 4, Adam, stayed behind with me the whole way as I rode along at a snail’s pace. It’s camaraderie like that which keeps us going throughout the day.
When I arrived at lunch, I think I did this thing called ‘bonking,’ which involves being so tired you physically can’t go any longer until you fall asleep, eat something, and drink a lot of Gatorade. I did all of the above, and felt like new again. Even while I was feeling a bit ill, I watched the chemistry between my team build, which brightened my day. It seems as if we’ve done a 180 degree turn, stopped being a serious bunch of typical Hopkins kids, and started having a ton of fun. The 4k was finally becoming exactly what I had pictured, and I was so glad to see it.
During the last ten miles, the headwinds picked up, and Adam ‘pulled’ for our team the whole way (this involves letting all the headwinds hit you as everyone else drafts about six inches off your rear tire to create a wind tunnel and conserve energy for everyone but the person in the front).
We arrived at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Michigan City, IN, which kindly provided us with a meal and showers. The woman who cooked us dinner, Jean, is an inspirational, ebullient 83 year old woman who is getting up early to make us breakfast tomorrow. It’s actually not that early for us – I’ve never looked forward to getting in at 7 (really 8, EST), in the morning. We generally get up around 5:30.
After dinner, a children’s choir sang for us, which was very touching. They joined us for dessert, and we introduced ourselves. I always enjoy hearing the introductions of the congregations, and how happy they are to have us with them. They always tell us that they hope to see us again next year, which is incredibly sweet. What they don’t know, is just how happy we are to have a place to sleep at night, and a smiling, surrogate family welcoming us after a long, tiring day.
We went to the sand dunes, which were absolutely gorgeous. After trekking up to the summit, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset over the lake. We rolled, ran, and slowly walked down the dunes to reach the water, and many of us went in (some unwillingly, thanks to fellow teammates). A great time was had by all, and it definitely made for a picturesque and memorable finish to the day.
Tomorrow we’ll be going into Chicago, IL, where I’ll meet two of my college friends, Nivia and Adam. It’s weird to think that I have to dub them ‘college’ friends now, instead of just general ‘friends,’ because the 4k has delayed the reality that I won’t be returning to Johns Hopkins in the Fall. However, I’m currently surrounded by wonderful, inspirational people who make this trip so worthwhile, and who are as insane as I am to bike across this country for a good cause. ‘
And, there is nothing I would rather be doing right now.
-Natalie Draisin
I believe I’m almost halfway into my stint as first leg leader, and it’s been going smoothly so far. The churches and YMCAs we stay at seem to know exactly what they’re doing, and ease any worries I might have. Being organized and preparing as best I could for this trip has absolutely paid off. They spoil us rotten, and try to fatten us up every night. The team has been wonderful, helping out in any way possible, even if it involves doing a job not assigned to them. I’ve been lucky!
Our hosts last night in Elkhart, Indiana treated us like kings and queens, providing us with a professional bike fitter (my knees no longer hurt!), a masseuse, and an amazing community dinner. We had the privilege of meeting some of the congregation, and learning new things about Elkhart. I had no idea that it had the highest unemployment rate in the country, which has sadly contributed to a decline in the church population. Apparently Obama visits the town relatively often to try to help solve their issue. Nevertheless, there was a great turnout and they spoiled us silly.
I was looking forward to our 50 mile day into Michigan City, IN serving as a respite from our 98 and 90 mile days. The day started off well, much sunnier than the 30 miles of rain at the end of the previous day. We were joined by some bike mechanics as we began our ride, and our scavenger hunt for the day. The hunt involved things like taking the best picture with a state sign, sporting the best war paint, eating a live fish (one kid chose to eat 2 baby frogs), and convincing a bar tender to supply us with non-alcoholic shots. We met a lot of nice people along the way, who wished us a good journey, but one crazy person who stood out, as well. As we stopped into a gas station, this man approached us and made a bet that he had ridden more miles in a day than we, claiming he rode 200 miles. He was overweight, and old, but maybe he was telling the truth. He also tried to convince me that cancer is absolutely curable, and that I should become Catholic, or else something involving sinning and blood would happen to me. Definitely a source of entertainment.
The water stop was really fun today, mainly because the whole team met up there. I had peanut butter and chocolate frosting smeared on my face several times, to complete the scavenger hunt task of smearing food condiment on a leg leader’s face. It went perfectly with my bright blue, pink, green, orange, and yellow eye shadow, and bright red lipstick and ‘4K’ written on my face, which I was wearing as war paint. The only boy on our group was a true man, and wore the makeup as well, which we applied in a local Family Dollar store. The cashiers loved it, and jumped in pictures with us.
As we continued, I began to feel sick around mile 30, which has never happened before. It might have had something to do with possibly having a fever the night before, not getting enough sleep, and biking so many miles. However, I didn’t stop, and the fastest kid on our team of 4, Adam, stayed behind with me the whole way as I rode along at a snail’s pace. It’s camaraderie like that which keeps us going throughout the day.
When I arrived at lunch, I think I did this thing called ‘bonking,’ which involves being so tired you physically can’t go any longer until you fall asleep, eat something, and drink a lot of Gatorade. I did all of the above, and felt like new again. Even while I was feeling a bit ill, I watched the chemistry between my team build, which brightened my day. It seems as if we’ve done a 180 degree turn, stopped being a serious bunch of typical Hopkins kids, and started having a ton of fun. The 4k was finally becoming exactly what I had pictured, and I was so glad to see it.
During the last ten miles, the headwinds picked up, and Adam ‘pulled’ for our team the whole way (this involves letting all the headwinds hit you as everyone else drafts about six inches off your rear tire to create a wind tunnel and conserve energy for everyone but the person in the front).
We arrived at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Michigan City, IN, which kindly provided us with a meal and showers. The woman who cooked us dinner, Jean, is an inspirational, ebullient 83 year old woman who is getting up early to make us breakfast tomorrow. It’s actually not that early for us – I’ve never looked forward to getting in at 7 (really 8, EST), in the morning. We generally get up around 5:30.
After dinner, a children’s choir sang for us, which was very touching. They joined us for dessert, and we introduced ourselves. I always enjoy hearing the introductions of the congregations, and how happy they are to have us with them. They always tell us that they hope to see us again next year, which is incredibly sweet. What they don’t know, is just how happy we are to have a place to sleep at night, and a smiling, surrogate family welcoming us after a long, tiring day.
We went to the sand dunes, which were absolutely gorgeous. After trekking up to the summit, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset over the lake. We rolled, ran, and slowly walked down the dunes to reach the water, and many of us went in (some unwillingly, thanks to fellow teammates). A great time was had by all, and it definitely made for a picturesque and memorable finish to the day.
Tomorrow we’ll be going into Chicago, IL, where I’ll meet two of my college friends, Nivia and Adam. It’s weird to think that I have to dub them ‘college’ friends now, instead of just general ‘friends,’ because the 4k has delayed the reality that I won’t be returning to Johns Hopkins in the Fall. However, I’m currently surrounded by wonderful, inspirational people who make this trip so worthwhile, and who are as insane as I am to bike across this country for a good cause. ‘
And, there is nothing I would rather be doing right now.
-Natalie Draisin
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Day 10: Fayette, OH to Elkhart IN
Tuesday, June 8
By executive order of our leadership team, we were expected on this 90-mile day to mess around more. Apparently the goofing off quota was not being filled in recent days, and we had to make up for lost time. We would be biking in three states today, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, which gave us our first opportunity: ridiculous state sign pictures. Riders climbed on the post signifying entrance into Michigan, stripped off jerseys and ran into the fields, biked mistakenly the wrong way, and generally held a poor work ethic. Further down the road was a house advertising free kittens. That’s right. Aside from the chickens, dog, and rabbit, there were adorable tiny balls of fluff that riders held, cuddled, and tried to smuggle away in jersey back pockets. In accordance with our theme of hooliganism, we also stopped at a hunting store. We tried to pick appropriate souvenirs from among the rows of crossbows and firearms. One rider secured a donation of one arrow while others liberally applied camouflage face paint.
We realized we had traveled maybe 15 miles in about 2 hours, so we decided to actually start biking (I know; who does that?). We soon left Michigan and entered Indiana, where we again stopped to take pictures of our state sign shenanigans. At mile 60, we were met with a lunch of McDonalds [Quick shout-out: this McDonalds allowed us to order anything we wanted. 5 McFlurries? No problem. Happy meal? Sure thing. We had so much food it was ridiculous], Taco Bell, and Subway. After quickly stuffing our faces (and powernapping), we hit the road again. Around mile 75 some rain hit us hard. When biking in groups in the rain, the water from the back tire of the person in front will spray back and soak the riders behind. Because of the physics of bike tires (it’s all very complicated stuff), there is approximately a 100% chance of the water spraying directly into the face of the person behind you. We withstood the storm, though, and made it into our gracious hosts, who met us with bike mechanics offering pro bono tune-ups, food, hot showers, and more food.
One story from today stood out. One of the van drivers, while searching for the post office, explained to a random passerby what we were doing. She told our driver to come back after she stopped at the post office. Upon her return, this lady donated to our cause and gave our driver a blanket (as it was cold and rainy). Random deeds like this occur with regularity on the 4K, but they are each immensely appreciated and a pleasant addition to our day.
-Kevin Cochran
By executive order of our leadership team, we were expected on this 90-mile day to mess around more. Apparently the goofing off quota was not being filled in recent days, and we had to make up for lost time. We would be biking in three states today, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, which gave us our first opportunity: ridiculous state sign pictures. Riders climbed on the post signifying entrance into Michigan, stripped off jerseys and ran into the fields, biked mistakenly the wrong way, and generally held a poor work ethic. Further down the road was a house advertising free kittens. That’s right. Aside from the chickens, dog, and rabbit, there were adorable tiny balls of fluff that riders held, cuddled, and tried to smuggle away in jersey back pockets. In accordance with our theme of hooliganism, we also stopped at a hunting store. We tried to pick appropriate souvenirs from among the rows of crossbows and firearms. One rider secured a donation of one arrow while others liberally applied camouflage face paint.
We realized we had traveled maybe 15 miles in about 2 hours, so we decided to actually start biking (I know; who does that?). We soon left Michigan and entered Indiana, where we again stopped to take pictures of our state sign shenanigans. At mile 60, we were met with a lunch of McDonalds [Quick shout-out: this McDonalds allowed us to order anything we wanted. 5 McFlurries? No problem. Happy meal? Sure thing. We had so much food it was ridiculous], Taco Bell, and Subway. After quickly stuffing our faces (and powernapping), we hit the road again. Around mile 75 some rain hit us hard. When biking in groups in the rain, the water from the back tire of the person in front will spray back and soak the riders behind. Because of the physics of bike tires (it’s all very complicated stuff), there is approximately a 100% chance of the water spraying directly into the face of the person behind you. We withstood the storm, though, and made it into our gracious hosts, who met us with bike mechanics offering pro bono tune-ups, food, hot showers, and more food.
One story from today stood out. One of the van drivers, while searching for the post office, explained to a random passerby what we were doing. She told our driver to come back after she stopped at the post office. Upon her return, this lady donated to our cause and gave our driver a blanket (as it was cold and rainy). Random deeds like this occur with regularity on the 4K, but they are each immensely appreciated and a pleasant addition to our day.
-Kevin Cochran
Day 9: Sandusky, OH to Fayette, OH
Monday, June 7th
The day of our first century. Of course, it was ironic that we were met with the up-and-down roller coasters of Cedar Point the night before which more closely mirrored the hills of Pennsylvania. Thankfully, those dreaded monstrosities were not to be seen the following day. Instead, Ohio’s flatlands would give us our first opportunities to try our trade at pacelining but also enjoying some leisurely conversation and enjoyment of the relatively unchanging Ohio landscape. Of course, the best-looking group – Henrik, Kristen, Kieran, and Adam – sped off into the distance early on as they sought to break the world record for beginner paceliners. Others, however, meandered their way on route 20, and Krystina, Meagan, and Dana’s group found Country Ice Cream a relaxing and calorie-loaded respite from the massive headwinds seeking to destroy all human presence in the state of Ohio. Dan, the dairly-allergic fellow that he is, was nearly driven to consumption of their largest soft-serve cone simply to escape the Sahara-like winds.
In other news, some people found the wind less of a problem than was their own sense of direction…namely, Kristine, who somehow found her way onto every road in a five-mile radius of SR_20 except for the one we actually wanted. Thankfully, her escapades put an end to the ongoing game of Clue the team had begun to narrow down who had been tampering with the team directions for the past six days of riding. The 4K team escaped her traps with their unparalleled common sense, however, and did an amazing job on the road to Fayette: population 1200. Unfortunately, Mariadina’s knee was acting up again, but the rest of the riders were able to close out the day nicely, some of whom went to Amigo’s Pizza: Mexican Restaurant for their first two courses of unadulterated fat and grease upon entering Fayette. As true champions, most of the riders pedaled down alleys and across town beforehand to truly fulfill their first 100 mile day, instead of wimping out at the direction’s pathetic 98 mile total. When the van picked up Mariadina, Jose immediately sped off to reach Fayette (having waited gentlemanly with Mariadina), slicing through and punishing the wind for the harm it did to his team all day long.
After a relaxing shower at the nearby campgrounds, the exhausted but confident and relieved squad enjoyed their home-cooked dinner in the Methodist Church basement, where over time confusion appeared to develop among the residents about what type of pie a host had baked – be it peanut butter or butterscotch? Krystina and Mary delivered one of the most fascinating 4K presentations to date, and the 4K team overall had a great time with the residents of this quaint little town, complete with their stories of trips to other towns and cooperation between the varying Christian denominations in town. What mattered most to our squad, however, were the efforts the people made to welcome us to into their small town and offer us a place to stay, food to eat, and above all else, conversation and company on another night of itinerancy. I believe that on this night, many of us gained a new understanding of the 4K’s purpose, and a thankfulness for the people with whom it continues to bring us into contact.
-Kieran Coleman
The day of our first century. Of course, it was ironic that we were met with the up-and-down roller coasters of Cedar Point the night before which more closely mirrored the hills of Pennsylvania. Thankfully, those dreaded monstrosities were not to be seen the following day. Instead, Ohio’s flatlands would give us our first opportunities to try our trade at pacelining but also enjoying some leisurely conversation and enjoyment of the relatively unchanging Ohio landscape. Of course, the best-looking group – Henrik, Kristen, Kieran, and Adam – sped off into the distance early on as they sought to break the world record for beginner paceliners. Others, however, meandered their way on route 20, and Krystina, Meagan, and Dana’s group found Country Ice Cream a relaxing and calorie-loaded respite from the massive headwinds seeking to destroy all human presence in the state of Ohio. Dan, the dairly-allergic fellow that he is, was nearly driven to consumption of their largest soft-serve cone simply to escape the Sahara-like winds.
In other news, some people found the wind less of a problem than was their own sense of direction…namely, Kristine, who somehow found her way onto every road in a five-mile radius of SR_20 except for the one we actually wanted. Thankfully, her escapades put an end to the ongoing game of Clue the team had begun to narrow down who had been tampering with the team directions for the past six days of riding. The 4K team escaped her traps with their unparalleled common sense, however, and did an amazing job on the road to Fayette: population 1200. Unfortunately, Mariadina’s knee was acting up again, but the rest of the riders were able to close out the day nicely, some of whom went to Amigo’s Pizza: Mexican Restaurant for their first two courses of unadulterated fat and grease upon entering Fayette. As true champions, most of the riders pedaled down alleys and across town beforehand to truly fulfill their first 100 mile day, instead of wimping out at the direction’s pathetic 98 mile total. When the van picked up Mariadina, Jose immediately sped off to reach Fayette (having waited gentlemanly with Mariadina), slicing through and punishing the wind for the harm it did to his team all day long.
After a relaxing shower at the nearby campgrounds, the exhausted but confident and relieved squad enjoyed their home-cooked dinner in the Methodist Church basement, where over time confusion appeared to develop among the residents about what type of pie a host had baked – be it peanut butter or butterscotch? Krystina and Mary delivered one of the most fascinating 4K presentations to date, and the 4K team overall had a great time with the residents of this quaint little town, complete with their stories of trips to other towns and cooperation between the varying Christian denominations in town. What mattered most to our squad, however, were the efforts the people made to welcome us to into their small town and offer us a place to stay, food to eat, and above all else, conversation and company on another night of itinerancy. I believe that on this night, many of us gained a new understanding of the 4K’s purpose, and a thankfulness for the people with whom it continues to bring us into contact.
-Kieran Coleman
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Day 6 and 7: Youngstown to Cleveland, Ohio
Friday, June 4rth; and Saturday,June 5th
Well, despite a few bumps we finally made it into Cleveland, and our first day off. Day 6 started off great, with a wonderful breakfast in Youngstown. The whole team made it to the first water stop in about an hour, a record time. And we were all riding along enjoying the beautiful Ohio countryside, the cool weather, and the fact that the road was flat as far as we could see. This was a welcome change from the Appalachians and Pennsylvania. Then as we left the second water stop, my riding group got our second flat of the day. We pulled over, changed it, and kept enjoying the flatness of Ohio. We got a third a couple miles later, but still thought nothing of it. Then suddenly, we went down a hill, and Kevin and Kieran both yell out simultaneously to stop. As we pulled over, we realized that Kevin had gotten his second flat of the day, and Kieran had somehow managed to pop both his tires at once, a difficult feat, to say the least. And as we’re sitting by the road, changing their tires, we realize that we no longer have any spare tubes without holes in them. So we bring out the patch kit, and are sitting there patching and changing tires. Meanwhile, we see every single other riding group, all twenty other riders for the day, ride past us to get first crack at lunch. At this point, the day had passed the point of annoyance, and just turned to comedy. We started joking about attempting to set the 4K record for most tires popped in a day. Finally, after about half an hour of tire patches and changes, we get back on the road and follow Jose and his rubber ducky socks to lunch. The rest of the afternoon went fine, although both Kevin and Kieran each managed to get an additional flat tire. And all the groups still managed to get to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in record time, where we settled into private rooms in the Phi Delta Theta house, preparing for our day off.
Everyone enjoyed the welcome break from our 5:30 am wakeups to Natalie’s iPod, and got out to explore the city. I was able to visit with a friend from Hopkins who is a Cleveland native, and got to see parts of the city that I would never have experienced otherwise. And the team was able to make those much needed trips to Target and the bike shops, buying supplies and bike gear we hadn’t realized we’d needed. A group made a trip to Lucky’s Diner for lunch, featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, where they enjoyed the Reuben, supposedly made with homemade bread and real corned beef. And now I think I’m the only one still awake, it’s almost ten thirty and we are waking up at five am tomorrow so we can get our sixty miles done early and head to Cedar Point Amusement Park for the biggest roller coasters in the United States. Spirits are still high, and people’s legs are slowly getting less sore. It amazes me that a sixty mile ride is now a short day, barely a week into the trip. Hopefully that will prepare us for our first century coming up in a few days. Well goodbye Cleveland, the rest of Ohio, and rumors of a scavenger hunt, await.
-Dan Crankshaw
Well, despite a few bumps we finally made it into Cleveland, and our first day off. Day 6 started off great, with a wonderful breakfast in Youngstown. The whole team made it to the first water stop in about an hour, a record time. And we were all riding along enjoying the beautiful Ohio countryside, the cool weather, and the fact that the road was flat as far as we could see. This was a welcome change from the Appalachians and Pennsylvania. Then as we left the second water stop, my riding group got our second flat of the day. We pulled over, changed it, and kept enjoying the flatness of Ohio. We got a third a couple miles later, but still thought nothing of it. Then suddenly, we went down a hill, and Kevin and Kieran both yell out simultaneously to stop. As we pulled over, we realized that Kevin had gotten his second flat of the day, and Kieran had somehow managed to pop both his tires at once, a difficult feat, to say the least. And as we’re sitting by the road, changing their tires, we realize that we no longer have any spare tubes without holes in them. So we bring out the patch kit, and are sitting there patching and changing tires. Meanwhile, we see every single other riding group, all twenty other riders for the day, ride past us to get first crack at lunch. At this point, the day had passed the point of annoyance, and just turned to comedy. We started joking about attempting to set the 4K record for most tires popped in a day. Finally, after about half an hour of tire patches and changes, we get back on the road and follow Jose and his rubber ducky socks to lunch. The rest of the afternoon went fine, although both Kevin and Kieran each managed to get an additional flat tire. And all the groups still managed to get to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in record time, where we settled into private rooms in the Phi Delta Theta house, preparing for our day off.
Everyone enjoyed the welcome break from our 5:30 am wakeups to Natalie’s iPod, and got out to explore the city. I was able to visit with a friend from Hopkins who is a Cleveland native, and got to see parts of the city that I would never have experienced otherwise. And the team was able to make those much needed trips to Target and the bike shops, buying supplies and bike gear we hadn’t realized we’d needed. A group made a trip to Lucky’s Diner for lunch, featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, where they enjoyed the Reuben, supposedly made with homemade bread and real corned beef. And now I think I’m the only one still awake, it’s almost ten thirty and we are waking up at five am tomorrow so we can get our sixty miles done early and head to Cedar Point Amusement Park for the biggest roller coasters in the United States. Spirits are still high, and people’s legs are slowly getting less sore. It amazes me that a sixty mile ride is now a short day, barely a week into the trip. Hopefully that will prepare us for our first century coming up in a few days. Well goodbye Cleveland, the rest of Ohio, and rumors of a scavenger hunt, await.
-Dan Crankshaw
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Day 5- Butler, PA to Youngstown, OH
Thursday, June 3
I’m starting to realize that right when things are at their smoothest is exactly when things seem to fall apart. Today when my group first left Butler, we jokingly said we would be the first group out and last group in. Oh, how I wish it hadn’t come true. But I’ll get to that in a minute. My group was mostly riders I’d ridden with before, including Andrew, Charlie and Krystina. Terrence was back again as well, with his chain restored for the second time (talk about some bad luck). I also had the chance to ride with Kieran for the first time, which was nice because he’s one of the more experienced riders on the team and he gave us some good tips on how to make the ride a little smoother. I had been experiencing some knee problems from the climbs on the previous days, and some of Kieran’s tips about keeping cadence and saving energy really helped alleviate some of the pain. He also taught us how to paceline, and I started to understand how some of those professional teams can make it across the country so quickly just from working off each other.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize the drawback of pacelining until it was too late: you become oblivious of the world around you (especially road signs). We powered through the first water stop, patting ourselves on the back on being halfway done without doing much of any work at all. Then we made the choice to keep on plowing on through until lunch, having misread the directions and thinking we didn’t have to turn for almost ten miles. It was only after we’d crossed all that terrain that we realized we’d missed a turn right out of the water break. What was originally supposed to be one of the easier days on the trip turned into one of the more frustrating days so far. Getting lost is never a great feeling- especially when you’re on a bike and you have to make up all that ground with your own legs (and slowly). I really have to give some props to my group for pushing on through despite our little setback. We managed to get in not too long after the last of the groups had rolled in, even after adding 20 miles to our trip. I’m just happy that this wasn’t a 100 mile day, and that the rain held off for the most part. The cloud cover was actually a bit of a relief in light of the blistering heat of the previous few days. I’m really looking forward to biking through Ohio; as much as I love Pennsylvania, I can’t say I’ll be missing the Appalachians or the bumpy roads. It’s crazy to think that a week ago I was graduating from college, and now here I am chilling in a church right across the border in Ohio, having biked the whole way. Can’t wait for the next adventure!
-Chris Tait
I’m starting to realize that right when things are at their smoothest is exactly when things seem to fall apart. Today when my group first left Butler, we jokingly said we would be the first group out and last group in. Oh, how I wish it hadn’t come true. But I’ll get to that in a minute. My group was mostly riders I’d ridden with before, including Andrew, Charlie and Krystina. Terrence was back again as well, with his chain restored for the second time (talk about some bad luck). I also had the chance to ride with Kieran for the first time, which was nice because he’s one of the more experienced riders on the team and he gave us some good tips on how to make the ride a little smoother. I had been experiencing some knee problems from the climbs on the previous days, and some of Kieran’s tips about keeping cadence and saving energy really helped alleviate some of the pain. He also taught us how to paceline, and I started to understand how some of those professional teams can make it across the country so quickly just from working off each other.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize the drawback of pacelining until it was too late: you become oblivious of the world around you (especially road signs). We powered through the first water stop, patting ourselves on the back on being halfway done without doing much of any work at all. Then we made the choice to keep on plowing on through until lunch, having misread the directions and thinking we didn’t have to turn for almost ten miles. It was only after we’d crossed all that terrain that we realized we’d missed a turn right out of the water break. What was originally supposed to be one of the easier days on the trip turned into one of the more frustrating days so far. Getting lost is never a great feeling- especially when you’re on a bike and you have to make up all that ground with your own legs (and slowly). I really have to give some props to my group for pushing on through despite our little setback. We managed to get in not too long after the last of the groups had rolled in, even after adding 20 miles to our trip. I’m just happy that this wasn’t a 100 mile day, and that the rain held off for the most part. The cloud cover was actually a bit of a relief in light of the blistering heat of the previous few days. I’m really looking forward to biking through Ohio; as much as I love Pennsylvania, I can’t say I’ll be missing the Appalachians or the bumpy roads. It’s crazy to think that a week ago I was graduating from college, and now here I am chilling in a church right across the border in Ohio, having biked the whole way. Can’t wait for the next adventure!
-Chris Tait
Day 3: Bedford to Gettysburg, PA
Tuesday, June 1
Today, we had a 65 mile ride through the Appalachians. It was slightly different from the past two days since riders of different levels were put into the same group. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs, all prepared by the church we were staying at, we set out. Our group was able to make it up to Bald Knob, which was at an elevation of 2906 ft., at a decent pace and had a chance to stop and take some pictures. Thanks to Gayatri, who was driving the water van that day, we had a water stop just before we reached the top so we had a chance to catch our breath. After lunch, we continued on to another climb up to Laurel Hill Summit. Despite its name, it was a challenging climb but it was well worth it once we saw the view.
This ride was especially tough since we had two mountains to conquer. However, w e did have a pool party to look forward to that night. After we all arrived at the Greensburg YMCA, we went to an alum’s home, where they had amazing food that we especially appreciated after a grueling third day.
-Angela Chang
Today, we had a 65 mile ride through the Appalachians. It was slightly different from the past two days since riders of different levels were put into the same group. After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs, all prepared by the church we were staying at, we set out. Our group was able to make it up to Bald Knob, which was at an elevation of 2906 ft., at a decent pace and had a chance to stop and take some pictures. Thanks to Gayatri, who was driving the water van that day, we had a water stop just before we reached the top so we had a chance to catch our breath. After lunch, we continued on to another climb up to Laurel Hill Summit. Despite its name, it was a challenging climb but it was well worth it once we saw the view.
This ride was especially tough since we had two mountains to conquer. However, w e did have a pool party to look forward to that night. After we all arrived at the Greensburg YMCA, we went to an alum’s home, where they had amazing food that we especially appreciated after a grueling third day.
-Angela Chang
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Day 2: Waynesboro, PA to Bedford PA
Monday, May 31
Word of the day: Grueling
It is said that the first three days are more challenging than the Rockies. On top of the sleep deprived 73 mile of yesterday many of us could not imagine peddling…well perhaps ever again. All riders rose to the occasion with admirable zeal…at 5:30 in the morning! (different than my normal schedule to be sure) Packing the bags and stuffing our faces with a generously supplied breakfast went smoothly with everyone contributing a hand. Our first dedication circle came and went leaving everyone inspired and “ready” to get back in to the saddle. The first 30 miles went relatively well, rolling hills and a sprawling landscape escorted us to the dreaded “3” hills…in quotations because there were definitely more than 3 and they were definitely 2 mountains. As we passed a memorial parade I was entertained by relaxing memories which fled my mind immediately upon accenting the first hill. I can say in full honesty that I wouldn’t have been able to summit if I had known how long this deceiving hill would stretch on. After the first hill many team mates have share the sentiment that there should be a gear smaller than “granny gear” which seems like top gear on tough assents. Screaming muscles quieted in a super fun decent we all fully deserved…two hills to go…dun dun duuuun. The second hill came, and, traumatized by the first it was a pleasant surprise when what was sure to be more hill around the corner was down hill, then there was ANOTHER hill, atop which we finally ate a nourishing meal found by Adali. Unfortunately the break to a little too long and I felt my muscles practically atrophy which was a frightening state to go into the looming Mountain! Remembering some advice to be understanding and compassionate, allowing myself to get off and walk for the first time which gave me a new lease on life. All walking considered every peddle felt like the last one my body could handle. Finally, upon reaching the top we all were greeted by a well deserved water station and the satisfaction of our first SUMMET!!! Unfortunately we all had 20 more miles until true relief, Bedford PA. I won’t elaborate on the 20 mile haul except for the epic decent from the mountain we had just conquered. Finally upon reaching our wonderful hosts nestled in the cozy town of Bedford PA we were shuttled to one of the best showers I have ever had and then back to an incredible meal from which I was stuffed…it seams we are all metabolizing alarmingly fast. After fascinating dinner banter with the worldly townies Jose and Kristine led our first ----meeting—with additions from a particularly witty spectator. Now that I’m digesting and settled In I can barely keep my eyes open, but I feel sure of an incredible summer to come!
-Amelia Lindbergh
Word of the day: Grueling
It is said that the first three days are more challenging than the Rockies. On top of the sleep deprived 73 mile of yesterday many of us could not imagine peddling…well perhaps ever again. All riders rose to the occasion with admirable zeal…at 5:30 in the morning! (different than my normal schedule to be sure) Packing the bags and stuffing our faces with a generously supplied breakfast went smoothly with everyone contributing a hand. Our first dedication circle came and went leaving everyone inspired and “ready” to get back in to the saddle. The first 30 miles went relatively well, rolling hills and a sprawling landscape escorted us to the dreaded “3” hills…in quotations because there were definitely more than 3 and they were definitely 2 mountains. As we passed a memorial parade I was entertained by relaxing memories which fled my mind immediately upon accenting the first hill. I can say in full honesty that I wouldn’t have been able to summit if I had known how long this deceiving hill would stretch on. After the first hill many team mates have share the sentiment that there should be a gear smaller than “granny gear” which seems like top gear on tough assents. Screaming muscles quieted in a super fun decent we all fully deserved…two hills to go…dun dun duuuun. The second hill came, and, traumatized by the first it was a pleasant surprise when what was sure to be more hill around the corner was down hill, then there was ANOTHER hill, atop which we finally ate a nourishing meal found by Adali. Unfortunately the break to a little too long and I felt my muscles practically atrophy which was a frightening state to go into the looming Mountain! Remembering some advice to be understanding and compassionate, allowing myself to get off and walk for the first time which gave me a new lease on life. All walking considered every peddle felt like the last one my body could handle. Finally, upon reaching the top we all were greeted by a well deserved water station and the satisfaction of our first SUMMET!!! Unfortunately we all had 20 more miles until true relief, Bedford PA. I won’t elaborate on the 20 mile haul except for the epic decent from the mountain we had just conquered. Finally upon reaching our wonderful hosts nestled in the cozy town of Bedford PA we were shuttled to one of the best showers I have ever had and then back to an incredible meal from which I was stuffed…it seams we are all metabolizing alarmingly fast. After fascinating dinner banter with the worldly townies Jose and Kristine led our first ----meeting—with additions from a particularly witty spectator. Now that I’m digesting and settled In I can barely keep my eyes open, but I feel sure of an incredible summer to come!
-Amelia Lindbergh
Day 1: Baltimore to Waynesboro
Sunday, May 30th
May 30th,2010 will be the day that I will always remember vividly as each and every memory associated with this day is unique in one way or another. The 72 miles that each of the 28 riders rode their bicycles was made somewhat easier with the love and the support of awesome and wonderful 4K alums.
It all started at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, when most of us would normally be sleeping away to glory. Instead we gathered behind Shriver Hall to pack the vans and see the sunrise. I heard someone saying, we will be seeing a lot of sunrises this summer. I thought to myself, every single one of them except the 11 rest days we will have on the trip. Soon after some eeee…haaaaaaa… we headed to the Inner Harbor for the send-off ceremony. We formed a caravan, with one van at the front and one at the back and the 28 riders forming a double file behind each other. It just seemed so grand; the reality of each of us being a part of something historic dawned on me for the first time. We arrived at the Inner Harbor to an arousing welcome by the friends and
family members of the 4k riders. Jose and Krisitne, the co-directors for the 2010 gave a brief introduction about the 4K, how it was started by Ryan Hanley and Leah Bloom in 2002 to honor Ryan’s father who died from cancer in 1995. They talked about expanding the 4K and having three different cross country rides in 2011. Representative from the two main beneficiaries of 4KforCancer, Baltimore Hope Lodge coordinator Karen Seaberry and Dr. Jean Ford of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center gave brief speeches acknowledging the great efforts of the riders over these past 9 years in helping further cancer research and providing quality care to cancer patients at the Baltimore Hope Lodge.
Soon the riders dipped their back tires in the holy waters of the Baltimore Inner Harbor
and after some final goodbyes and hugs to friends and family headed in the NW direction towards Waynesboro in groups of 3-6 riders. I was riding with Kieran, Henrik, Sara and Kristen- some of the strongest riders in our team. Henrik and Kieran are the only two in the group that have some professional biking experience and I learned a lot on Day 1. Just watching Kieran glide down on some of the down hills was amazing and I soon incorporated that biking posture in my ride. Henrik and Kristen started pace lining and it was an absolute treat to watch Kristen follow Henrik so closely, separated by no more than a couple of inches. I was also inspired by Sara's rock steady cadence on the first hill towards the end of the day...there is so much to learn!!!
At mile 15, we made our first water stop at a fire station.
It made me really happy to see a jar of Nutella on the table as I had mentioned at one of our team meetings how I hated Peanut Butter and loved Nutella. The 4K alums who were riding with us were truly epic. Needless to say they took care of everything from driving the vans on Day 1, to arranging all the logistics of the water and lunch stops and shuttling the bags to our destination. What really impressed me was the chemistry that the 4K alum shared and I only hoped for a special bond with our group of 28 riders. At mile 35, we did our lunch stop and again the 4K alum were just ready to feed us nicely crafted sandwiches that just melted in the mouth of the riders…it was like a p…p...party in my mouth!!! kinda feeling. At the lunch stop I ended up getting some `gyan’ (knowledge) from Rob, a 4K alum. He mentioned how we need to force feed ourselves and that we would develop rock solid legs by the end of the trip, something that I was really looking forward to.
After the lunch stop we would encounter the first hill of the trip that was a 3 mile steep ascent that I did at 4mph average speed. Our group finished first and Jeff, one of the support staff at the church showed us the showers and snacks. The other groups started flowing in at regular intervals and after a fabulous feast the 4K alums wished us good luck and headed back to Baltimore.
Just when everyone was ready to crash down and start snoring, we were told that we are having a team pow wow!!! Wasn’t too excited at the idea of keeping awake for another few hours...but what soon followed was truly inspirational and heart moving for me. Each rider shared something close, something personal about their lives and their reasons for being on this trip. After a lot of tears and laughs, it felt as if we were already starting to bond together as a group.
-Abhishek Gupta
May 30th,2010 will be the day that I will always remember vividly as each and every memory associated with this day is unique in one way or another. The 72 miles that each of the 28 riders rode their bicycles was made somewhat easier with the love and the support of awesome and wonderful 4K alums.
It all started at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, when most of us would normally be sleeping away to glory. Instead we gathered behind Shriver Hall to pack the vans and see the sunrise. I heard someone saying, we will be seeing a lot of sunrises this summer. I thought to myself, every single one of them except the 11 rest days we will have on the trip. Soon after some eeee…haaaaaaa… we headed to the Inner Harbor for the send-off ceremony. We formed a caravan, with one van at the front and one at the back and the 28 riders forming a double file behind each other. It just seemed so grand; the reality of each of us being a part of something historic dawned on me for the first time. We arrived at the Inner Harbor to an arousing welcome by the friends and
family members of the 4k riders. Jose and Krisitne, the co-directors for the 2010 gave a brief introduction about the 4K, how it was started by Ryan Hanley and Leah Bloom in 2002 to honor Ryan’s father who died from cancer in 1995. They talked about expanding the 4K and having three different cross country rides in 2011. Representative from the two main beneficiaries of 4KforCancer, Baltimore Hope Lodge coordinator Karen Seaberry and Dr. Jean Ford of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center gave brief speeches acknowledging the great efforts of the riders over these past 9 years in helping further cancer research and providing quality care to cancer patients at the Baltimore Hope Lodge. Soon the riders dipped their back tires in the holy waters of the Baltimore Inner Harbor
and after some final goodbyes and hugs to friends and family headed in the NW direction towards Waynesboro in groups of 3-6 riders. I was riding with Kieran, Henrik, Sara and Kristen- some of the strongest riders in our team. Henrik and Kieran are the only two in the group that have some professional biking experience and I learned a lot on Day 1. Just watching Kieran glide down on some of the down hills was amazing and I soon incorporated that biking posture in my ride. Henrik and Kristen started pace lining and it was an absolute treat to watch Kristen follow Henrik so closely, separated by no more than a couple of inches. I was also inspired by Sara's rock steady cadence on the first hill towards the end of the day...there is so much to learn!!!At mile 15, we made our first water stop at a fire station.
It made me really happy to see a jar of Nutella on the table as I had mentioned at one of our team meetings how I hated Peanut Butter and loved Nutella. The 4K alums who were riding with us were truly epic. Needless to say they took care of everything from driving the vans on Day 1, to arranging all the logistics of the water and lunch stops and shuttling the bags to our destination. What really impressed me was the chemistry that the 4K alum shared and I only hoped for a special bond with our group of 28 riders. At mile 35, we did our lunch stop and again the 4K alum were just ready to feed us nicely crafted sandwiches that just melted in the mouth of the riders…it was like a p…p...party in my mouth!!! kinda feeling. At the lunch stop I ended up getting some `gyan’ (knowledge) from Rob, a 4K alum. He mentioned how we need to force feed ourselves and that we would develop rock solid legs by the end of the trip, something that I was really looking forward to. After the lunch stop we would encounter the first hill of the trip that was a 3 mile steep ascent that I did at 4mph average speed. Our group finished first and Jeff, one of the support staff at the church showed us the showers and snacks. The other groups started flowing in at regular intervals and after a fabulous feast the 4K alums wished us good luck and headed back to Baltimore.
Just when everyone was ready to crash down and start snoring, we were told that we are having a team pow wow!!! Wasn’t too excited at the idea of keeping awake for another few hours...but what soon followed was truly inspirational and heart moving for me. Each rider shared something close, something personal about their lives and their reasons for being on this trip. After a lot of tears and laughs, it felt as if we were already starting to bond together as a group.
-Abhishek Gupta
Monday, May 3, 2010
Relay for Life
Friday, April 16th
I enter to a deafening roar – support for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at JHU. Unfortunately I missed the opening ceremony, but as one Hope Lodge resident who marched in the Survivor Lap put it, the overwhelming compassion and encouragement brought her to tears.
As I walked into the gymnasium and looked down upon the proceedings, one event immediately caught my eye: the Miss Relay Pageant. But don’t let the name fool you. This was a contest where men dressed as drag queens paraded themselves in front of an audience in order to elicit donations from the crowd. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the chance to stuff a few singles down my friend’s bra (acknowledgements to Larkin Luo).
After the commotion died down and I met up with my fellow 4Kers I noticed that our very own Craig Sadler had been cycling on the trainer since I had arrived. In fact, Craig ended up cycling for seven hours straight, during which, at one point he had someone bring him a bag of ice to sit on. Kudos to you Craig for showing us one of the reasons we take water breaks during our trip across the country.
This was simply the start of a very long night, however. As I waited for my chance to jump on a bike, Abhishek Gupta suggested we try out the American Gladiator style fighting arena. After only three rounds (I won two of them) of bashing each other’s heads in with foam pads, we were exhausted. Thank God cycling isn’t as hard as that, or else it would take us half a year to get to San Francisco.
The night wore on as fellow 4Kers had to go home and sleep, and soon only Jose Medina, Kristine Casey, Erica Lai and I were left. With most of the crowd dispersed the gymnasium soon took a turn towards arctic. Jose was keeping warm on the bike, I stole Casey’s blanket and Casey and Erica kicked Craig out of his sleeping bag. As the cold and sleep deprivation sunk in the conversations took a turn for the weird. Erica and Casey spent half an hour wondering if a white canister on a table was a salt shaker or not until I garnered enough energy to get up and check (it was a donation jar). There were talks of Erica’s disgust of men’s unkempt, hairy feet, and tales of Casey’s adventures with her Gluten allergy.
But we persisted. Soon it was 7am and the Relay for Life was, sadly, over. The 4K For Cancer team had had at least one person biking at all times from 7pm, April 16 to 7am, April 17. We were able to show our support for cancer victims and raise money for cancer research as well. And for those of us who stayed the entire night, it was definitely worth it: tons of free bagels!
Adam Ammar
I enter to a deafening roar – support for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at JHU. Unfortunately I missed the opening ceremony, but as one Hope Lodge resident who marched in the Survivor Lap put it, the overwhelming compassion and encouragement brought her to tears.
As I walked into the gymnasium and looked down upon the proceedings, one event immediately caught my eye: the Miss Relay Pageant. But don’t let the name fool you. This was a contest where men dressed as drag queens paraded themselves in front of an audience in order to elicit donations from the crowd. Of course, I couldn’t pass up the chance to stuff a few singles down my friend’s bra (acknowledgements to Larkin Luo).
After the commotion died down and I met up with my fellow 4Kers I noticed that our very own Craig Sadler had been cycling on the trainer since I had arrived. In fact, Craig ended up cycling for seven hours straight, during which, at one point he had someone bring him a bag of ice to sit on. Kudos to you Craig for showing us one of the reasons we take water breaks during our trip across the country.
This was simply the start of a very long night, however. As I waited for my chance to jump on a bike, Abhishek Gupta suggested we try out the American Gladiator style fighting arena. After only three rounds (I won two of them) of bashing each other’s heads in with foam pads, we were exhausted. Thank God cycling isn’t as hard as that, or else it would take us half a year to get to San Francisco.
The night wore on as fellow 4Kers had to go home and sleep, and soon only Jose Medina, Kristine Casey, Erica Lai and I were left. With most of the crowd dispersed the gymnasium soon took a turn towards arctic. Jose was keeping warm on the bike, I stole Casey’s blanket and Casey and Erica kicked Craig out of his sleeping bag. As the cold and sleep deprivation sunk in the conversations took a turn for the weird. Erica and Casey spent half an hour wondering if a white canister on a table was a salt shaker or not until I garnered enough energy to get up and check (it was a donation jar). There were talks of Erica’s disgust of men’s unkempt, hairy feet, and tales of Casey’s adventures with her Gluten allergy.
But we persisted. Soon it was 7am and the Relay for Life was, sadly, over. The 4K For Cancer team had had at least one person biking at all times from 7pm, April 16 to 7am, April 17. We were able to show our support for cancer victims and raise money for cancer research as well. And for those of us who stayed the entire night, it was definitely worth it: tons of free bagels!
Adam Ammar
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Dinner at Hope Lodge
Monday, April 19th
Having only been on my new bike once (where I think I spent as much time running into poles and falling over at stoplights as I did actually on my bike), I was a little nervous to actually bike with the team through Baltimore's pothole-filled streets and infamous traffic to get to the Hope Lodge. I needn't have worried - what with Kristine's singing Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" behind me and everyone else turning around at stoplights to check and make sure I hadn't gotten side-swiped by a passing car, I, and the rest of the team, made it to the Hope Lodge without incident.
Once there we set up everything for a nacho dinner. Once everyone filled their plates and settled down, Kristine and Jose introduced the team and asked each of us to stand up, tell a bit about ourselves, and pick a song we thought best described ourselves. Caught totally unaware and made to go first, I tried to come up with something deep and meaningful, and ended up describing the song "Be a Man" by Mulan.... oops.
Dinner and conversation was, as always, wonderful. I got a chance to catch up with a couple from Maryland, Don and Darlene, whom I'd met the previous week at Bingo night. Both were doing well; Don was on his second to last round of treatment and excited to be nearing the finish line. As our conversation progressed, Don asked me if I was excited for this summer, and I confessed that while I was, I was also terrified by the sheer prospect of biking across the entire country, and couldn't help but wonder sometimes if I was absolutely insane for trying. Don and Darlene were amazing - making me laugh and loosen up but also telling me about the people in their family had been affected by cancer and how moved they were by what we were doing. They hugged me tightly and told me to keep training, that I'd be just fine.
I'm glad that in going to the Hope Lodge we help raise the spirits of the inspirational, courageous people there, but I'm even more grateful for all the strength and motivation they give us to persevere in this crazy adventure. I can't wait to write to Don and Darlene from San Fransisco to say, thanks, you were right, I made it! :)
Pooja Singal
Having only been on my new bike once (where I think I spent as much time running into poles and falling over at stoplights as I did actually on my bike), I was a little nervous to actually bike with the team through Baltimore's pothole-filled streets and infamous traffic to get to the Hope Lodge. I needn't have worried - what with Kristine's singing Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" behind me and everyone else turning around at stoplights to check and make sure I hadn't gotten side-swiped by a passing car, I, and the rest of the team, made it to the Hope Lodge without incident.
Once there we set up everything for a nacho dinner. Once everyone filled their plates and settled down, Kristine and Jose introduced the team and asked each of us to stand up, tell a bit about ourselves, and pick a song we thought best described ourselves. Caught totally unaware and made to go first, I tried to come up with something deep and meaningful, and ended up describing the song "Be a Man" by Mulan.... oops.
Dinner and conversation was, as always, wonderful. I got a chance to catch up with a couple from Maryland, Don and Darlene, whom I'd met the previous week at Bingo night. Both were doing well; Don was on his second to last round of treatment and excited to be nearing the finish line. As our conversation progressed, Don asked me if I was excited for this summer, and I confessed that while I was, I was also terrified by the sheer prospect of biking across the entire country, and couldn't help but wonder sometimes if I was absolutely insane for trying. Don and Darlene were amazing - making me laugh and loosen up but also telling me about the people in their family had been affected by cancer and how moved they were by what we were doing. They hugged me tightly and told me to keep training, that I'd be just fine.
I'm glad that in going to the Hope Lodge we help raise the spirits of the inspirational, courageous people there, but I'm even more grateful for all the strength and motivation they give us to persevere in this crazy adventure. I can't wait to write to Don and Darlene from San Fransisco to say, thanks, you were right, I made it! :)
Pooja Singal
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